Morgan Wallen has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges after chucking a chair off the roof of a Nashville bar and nearly hitting two cops.
The 31-year-old country music star made his first in-person court appearance on Thursday. When asked by Judge Cynthia Chappell how he pleaded, Wallen simply responded: “Conditionally guilty.”
The “I Had Some Help” singer will be held in a DUI education center for seven days. He will then be on supervised probation for two years.
His plea comes after his charges were reduced during a Tuesday hearing.
Wallen was arrested in April for tossing a chair off the roof of the six-story Chief’s on Broadway bar in Nashville and nearly hitting two police officers. He was initially charged with disorderly conduct and three counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.
However, charges were reduced to two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment without a weapon.
“Upon the successful completion of his probation, the charges will be eligible for dismissal and expungement,” Wallen’s attorney Worrick Robinson said in a statement. “Mr. Wallen has cooperated fully with authorities throughout these last eight months, directly communicating and apologizing to all involved. Mr. Wallen remains committed to making a positive impact through his music and foundation.”
Wallen was initially released from jail on $15,000 bail and was scheduled to appear in court on May 3, which coincided with the second Nashville show of his ongoing tour.
He later addressed the incident, writing on social media: “I didn’t feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks.
“I’ve touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief’s. I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility,” he added. “I have the utmost respect for the officers working every day to keep us all safe. Regarding my tour, there will be no change.”
The chair-throwing incident came after Wallen spent years repairing his image after being filmed using a racial slur in 2021.
According to a source who spoke to the Daily Mail, the incident at Chief’s was Wallen’s reaction to learning that his ex-fiancée, Katie “KT” Smith, had married her new partner Luke Scornavacco.
They claimed that the singer was “crushed” to learn that Smith, with whom he shares his son Indigo, had married Scornavacco just a few days after they announced their engagement.
Despite a string of controversies, Wallen has remained one of the most commercially successful artists in the US.
Last month, Wallen was nominated for two Grammys alongside Post Malone for their hit song “I Had Some Help.” The two artists received nods for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Meanwhile, Wallen has received numerous accolades, including Favorite Male Country Artist at the 2022 American Music Awards, Album of the Year at the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards and both Top Country Album and Top Country Artist at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.
