Jason Aldean has made headlines for his controversial behavior just as often as he’s released music.
The country star first drew backlash when he admitted to cheating on his first wife, Jessica Ussery, in 2012 — with now-wife Brittany Aldean (née Kerr). Jason filed for divorce from Ussery, with whom he shares two daughters, seven months later.
“She will always be important to me because she is the mother of my children, and I know that we will both always make our daughters our No. 1 priority,” he said in a statement at the time.
More than a decade later, Jason came under fire for his song “Try That in a Small Town,” which he released in May 2023. Many deemed the track not just controversial, but also racist. Aldean, for his part, defended the tune in a lengthy post on social media.
Biggest Country Music Controversies Through the Years
Keep scrolling for Jason’s most controversial moments over the years:
Cheating Scandal With Brittany Aldean
After he was photographed getting cozy with Brittany in September 2012, Jason released a statement acknowledging their PDA.
“The truth is that I screwed up. I had too much to drink, let the party get out of hand and acted inappropriately at a bar,” he wrote via Facebook at the time. “I left alone, caught the bus to our next show and that’s the end of the story. I ultimately ended up embarrassing my family and myself. I’m not perfect, and I’m sorry for disappointing you guys. I really appreciate being able to work through this privately with my family and for all your continued support.”
Jason and Ussery split soon after. He filed for divorce in 2013.
COVID and Vaccination Drama
Jason has made no secret of his conservative political views, but he caused a stir when responding to a California mandate that children required COVID vaccines to attend school.
“So let me get this straight! It is no longer our decisions as parents (or free Americans) to make decisions about our kids, [Governor of California] Gavin Newsom makes those decisions for us now?? You gotta be kidding me!” Jason posted via Instagram in 2021. “People in California should be outraged and people everywhere else better start standing up and speaking out NOW. This is not how America and being free works.”
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Maren Morris Feud
While Morris’ August 2022 beef was more with Brittany than Jason, his support of his wife put him in hot water as well.
At the time, Brittany came under fire for sharing a transphobic message while making a beauty vlog. “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase,” she captioned the video. “I love this girly life.”
Morris wasted no time in hitting back. “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human?” she wrote via social media in response. “Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”
Jason, for his part, defended Brittany amid the drama, calling her “MY Barbie” in an Instagram comment.
‘Try That in a Small Town’ Racism Accusations
Jason faced allegations of racism after the 2023 release of his song “Try It in a Small Town.”
“Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough,” Jason sings on the track. “Well, try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road / Around here, we take care of our own / You cross that line, it won’t take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don’t.”
He also faced backlash for his pro-gun stance. “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that s—t might fly in the city, good luck,” he crooned.
Jason hit back via social media in July, defending the song. Despite his defense, the song was dropped by CMT.
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“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous,” he tweeted at the time. “There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.”
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