Introduction
Morgan Wallen Faces Felony Charges After Nashville Rooftop Chair-Throwing Incident
Country music superstar Morgan Wallen is once again facing public and legal scrutiny following his arrest in Nashville on serious felony charges. The 30-year-old singer, one of the most commercially successful artists in the industry, was booked early Monday morning after police say he threw a chair from the rooftop of a six-story bar, narrowly missing officers below.
The incident occurred at the newly opened Chief’s bar, where Wallen was reportedly seen picking up a chair and tossing it over the roof edge. According to the police report, the chair landed just three feet away from two Metropolitan Nashville Police Department officers who were standing on the street below. Witnesses recounted seeing the star pick up the object, throw it, and laugh afterward, leading to his immediate detention.
Wallen now faces three counts of felony reckless endangerment and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. The felony nature of these charges is a significant escalation from his previous run-ins with the law and could potentially result in years of imprisonment if he is convicted. He was booked and subsequently released on bond. In a statement to ABC News, one of Wallen’s attorneys confirmed that the singer is “cooperating fully with authorities.”
This arrest marks the latest in a series of highly publicized controversies that have plagued the artist’s otherwise skyrocketing career. In May 2020, Wallen was arrested and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct after being kicked out of a Nashville bar, though those charges were later dropped. Later that year, he was dropped by Saturday Night Live as a musical guest after videos surfaced on TikTok showing him ignoring COVID-19 precautions at a party.
The most damaging incident occurred in February 2021, when Wallen was caught on video using a racial slur while speaking to a friend after returning home from a night out. The immediate backlash was severe: his label briefly suspended his contract, radio stations removed his songs, and he was banned from certain industry awards. Despite issuing multiple apologies and sitting down for interviews to address the fallout, the scandal highlighted a concerning pattern of public misconduct.
Despite his repeated troubles, Wallen’s music streams and album sales have often surged following each controversy, leading to ongoing public debate about whether bad behavior in celebrity culture is often tolerated or even rewarded.
Wallen, who is currently kicking off a major tour, will be required to return to Nashville for a court appearance on May 3rd, where he is expected to answer the charges. The country music world and his vast fanbase will be closely watching the legal proceedings of their controversial but highly popular star.