All the Biggest Scandals in Country Music

Country music has always been known for its heartfelt lyrics and catchy tunes, but it’s also had its fair share of controversy and scandal.

Like any industry, there are always some people with bad motives (and many with good that experience unfair backlash!) but nowhere is that more obvious than in a genre that is often a little too reluctant to change its views on sexuality, race, gender and more. There isn’t any type of controversy, from cheating scandals, public meltdowns, lawsuits, to controversial song releases, that country stars haven’t faced, to be honest.

Many stars have recovered from the controversies, some has disappeared into oblivion, and others have doubled-down. But one thing is for sure, country music is changing, and more and more stars are getting on board with a more inclusive next chapter for the genre!

Now is as good a time as ever to revisit some of the wildest scandals faced by even country music’s most elite. The country stars below have had their names dragged through the mud amidst public controversy. 

A version of this article was previously published in June 2015.

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Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Origin Story

While Beyoncé’s 2016 CMA performance with The Chicks only proved that there is nothing the star can’t do, it didn’t go down too well with some country music loyalists.

After the performance, some vocalized their disapproval of the performance for a multitude of reasons ranging from criticism of Beyoncé’s liberal-leaning politics, her perceived lack of country music experience, and a dislike of The Chicks (more on that later!) But a lot of the response was just downright racist.

Of course, turned lemons in lemonade when she released her 2024 country album “Cowboy Carter” alongside a message that many took as a belated response to the CMAs incident.

“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she wrote.

Morgan Wallen’s Racism

In February 2021, video of Morgan Wallen surfaced, featuring the country singer using a racial slur while near his Nashville home. Months later, he made an appearance on Good Morning America, where he offered an apology.

“I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back,” the singer said. “There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better.”

Despite the incident, Wallen has continued to receive many award show nominations and remains a popular country music artist.

Brittany Aldean’s Transphobia

Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany’s conservative political views are no secret. The couple even attended Donald Trump’s New Year’s Eve party in 2022.

But backlash hit an all time high in August 2022 when Brittany posted a transphobic post to Instagram. “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase,” she wrote in the caption of the video. “I love this girly life🤎✌🏼.”

The Band Formerly Known As Lady Antebellum

Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley of Lady A, formerly Lady Antebellum, made the decision in June 2020 to change their band’s name as a response to the calls for racial equality following the death of George Floyd.

The band’s new choice of name, however, was already being used by Seattle-based African American singer Anita White. What ensued, was a back-and-forth legal battle over rights of the stage name. On February of 2022, Lady A and White settled their legal battle as they filed joint requests for dismissals, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Lil Nas X’s Country Music Crossover

Lil Nas X’s song “Old Town Road” totally took country music by storm upon its release in 2019. Unfortunately, not everyone was convinced that the artist’s tune was country enough. After the song broke to No. 19 on the Hot Country chart, Billboard removed the song from the genre’s ranking list but kept it on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop list.

Billboard issued a statement, saying, the song “does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version,” per CBS. Lil Nas X was, however, totally unbothered by the situation. “The song is country trap. It’s not one, it’s not the other,” the artist shared in an interview with Time. “It’s both. It should be on both [charts].” The song went on to earn a number of Grammy nominations, and cemented Lil Nas X as an artist to watch.

Toby Keith’s Pro-War Song

In 2002, just a year after the September 11 attacks, Toby Keith released a song called “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” which was widely criticized for its pro-war message.

“And you’ll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A. / ‘Cause we’ll put a boot in your a—, it’s the American way,” he sang as the U.S. continued its war on the Middle East.

Randy Travis’s Arrest

Randy Travis landed behind bars in 2012 when he drunkenly crashed his car and was later found intoxicated and naked in the grass. The incident was one of a few public intoxication allegations.

The Chicks v.s George W. Bush

The Chicks (then called the Dixie Chicks) took a major hit when Natalie Maines told a London crowd in 2003 of President George W. Bush, “We’re ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.”

The band’s record sales took a major hit but the group have remained strong.

Jason Aldean’s Affair

On Sept. 26, 2012, Jason Aldean was caught cheating on his high-school-sweetheart-turned-wife, Jessica, ending their marriage.

Aldean, who shares two kids with Jessica, was photographed getting close to former American Idol star Brittany Kerr. In 2015, Jason and Brittany got married.

Kenny Chesney & Renée Zellweger’s Divorce

The world was shocked when Kenny Chesney married Renée Zellweger, but even more so when she filed for divorce on account of fraud only four months later.

The filing sparked rumors that Chesney was gay, which he later denied.

“Maybe I should’ve come out and said that, ‘No, I’m not.’ But I didn’t want to draw any more attention to it, you know, ’cause I knew I wasn’t … it’s not true, period,” Chesney told 60 Minutes in 2007.

“The only fraud that was committed was me thinking that I knew what it was going to be like, that I really understood what it was like to be married, and I really didn’t.”

In 2016, Zellweger told The Advocate that “fraud” was simply legal language.

“It made me sad that somehow people were using that as a way to be cruel and calling someone gay as a pejorative, which has fateful consequences. Of course, there’s the bigger-picture problem of why anyone had to make up a story at all,” she added.

LeAnn Rimes’ Legal Battle With Her Father

In 2000, a young LeAnn Rimes courted controversy at age 17 by filing a lawsuit against her own father claiming he owed her more than $7 million. While the duo eventually reconciled after settling the legal dispute, the singer spoke out about the dangers of parents managing kids career amid Britney Spears’ legal battle with her father.

“Looking back, I think my dad did the best that he could. Parents managing a child is always a recipe for disaster. For me it became a business and I ended up not having parents,” she told People in 2023.

Brad Paisley’s ‘Accidental Racist’ Song

In 2013, Brad Paisley released the song “Accidental Racist,” a collaboration with rapper LL Cool J that was quickly panned for its tone-deaf attempt to address racial issues.

“This song was meant to generate discussion among the people who listen to my albums,” Paisley told Vulture. “But I thought that my fans would get something out of hearing a point of view that they don’t hear very often — a perspective you really don’t hear in country music… There is a gulf of understanding that I was trying to address.”

Billy Ray Cyrus’ Affair

Back in the day, Billy Ray Cyrus began dating Kristin Luckey and Miley’s mom, Tish. At the same time… and the two women gave birth to Cyrus’ offpsring only seven months apart.

Billy Ray and Tish stayed together, eventually marrying and welcoming two more kids in the decades-long marriage. In 2022, the two officially went their separate ways.

Willie Nelson’s Arrest

In 2006, Willie Nelson was arrested when his tour bus was pulled over and police found 1.5 pounds of marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.

Zac Brown’s Arrest

In 2016, Zac Brown was arrested for possession of drugs, including cocaine. Brown claimed that he had been “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” per People.

“I attended a private gathering at a Miami-area hotel and had only been there for a short time when police officers arrived and arrested two people in the room who had just showed up a few minutes before. I did not know these people and had no idea that there were drugs in their possession,” he said in a statement.

“I cooperated fully with the authorities and am not part of any ongoing police investigation. Everyone is responsible for their actions, and I regret using poor judgment and putting myself in that position.”

Garth Brooks’ Infidelity

In the ’90s, Garth Brooks made waves for admitting he cheated on his then-wife, Sandy Mahl, with Trisha Yearwood — whom he ultimately married in 2005 and has been with ever since.

Brooks and Mahl wed in 1986 and went on the have three children. But Brooks later admitted that his marriage was forever changed when he first met, and began collaborating with Yearwood in 1987.

“It’s strange because I felt that feeling like when you just meet your wife, but I’ve been married for 13 months,” Brooks said during a 2013 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Taylor Swift’s First Kanye West Run-In

The moment Kanye West hijacked Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Awards will long live in infamy in Nashville circles.

West interupted the country star’s big win to claim that the award should have gone to Beyonce.

Shania Twain’s Revenge

After finding out in 2008 her husband was cheating with her best friend, Shania Twain flipped the script by later marrying her former bestie’s hunky husband, Frédéric Thiébaud.

Wynonna Judd’s Marriage Breakdown

While Wynonna Judd’s then-husband D.R. Roach was in rehab in 2007, he was convicted on 13 counts of sexual battery of a minor younger than 13. The two split that same year.

LeAnn Rimes… again

LeAnn Rimes went from country music darling to public enemy #1 in a heartbeat when she started a relationship with married actor Eddie Cibrian while he was still with Real Housewives star Brandi Glanville. Cibrian then got divorced from Glanville and tied the knot with Rimes less than a year later.

Hank Williams Jr’s Offensive Remarks

In 2011, when Hank Williams Jr. made a joke comparing Obama to Hitler on Fox & Friends, it got his theme song pulled from Monday Night Football.

The controversial star never apologized for the incident and, instead, doubled down by making another statement to his concert crowd a year later calling the president “a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the U.S. and we hate him!”

Keith Urban’s Alleged Infidelity

Although rumors have long plagued Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, they hit an all-time high in 2006 when lingerie model Amanda Wyatt claimed she had an affair with Urban. “I feel sorry for Nicole. Keith cheated on her repeatedly with me, right up to just before they got married,” Wyatt told The Daily Mail. “He’s done it once, and he’ll probably do it again.” Despite the claims, they two have not commented on the rumors and have stayed together ever since.

Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert dropped a bomb on fans by announcing they were divorcing… the day it was finalized! And no one expected their fairy-tale romance to turn so bitter.

Loretta Lynn’s Progressive Song

In 1975, Loretta Lynn released the song “The Pill,” which was considered outrageous for its frank discussion of birth control. Radio stations refused to play the tune, and even to this day, some still do.

The song was a celebratory ode of birth control and sexual freedom with lyrics like: “This old maternity dress I’ve got is going in the garbage / The clothes I’m wearing from now on won’t take up so much yardage / Miniskirts, hot pants, and a few little fancy frills / Yeah, I’m making up for all those years since I’ve got the pill.”