Morgan Wallen's recent Nashville arrest is only the latest stamp in his history of public intoxication.
The country star's troubled history with alcohol dates back to 2016, when he was first faced with misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence. The prosecutors later dropped the issue. Wallen was 22 at the time and had just released his debut single on Big Loud, "The Way I Talk."
Details on the Jan. 2016 arrest in Nashville are sparse due to the decision not to prosecute, leading the matter to no longer show up on government websites. Taste of Country reports that since the case was expunged, it will not be publicly shown, according to the Davidson County Court Clerk's office.
The DUI was Wallen's first of three arrests. In 2020, Wallen was arrested by Nashville police after getting kicked out of Kid Rock's bar in downtown Nashville. Prior to the arrest, Wallen was reportedly so drunk that he was kicking glass items inside the establishment. The "Wasted On You" singer was charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct, which was also later dropped by prosecutors.
Wallen's most recent arrest came earlier this week when he threw a chair from the sixth floor of Eric Church's bar in downtown Nashville. The newly-opened bar is located in the Broadway district, where the singer has struggled to stay out of trouble.
Currently, he is facing three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Wallen is scheduled to appear in court for his trial on May 3. It is unknown if alcohol actually played a role in the recent incident.
His run-in with the police comes after the opening night of his One Night at a Time tour in Indianapolis. He will perform at Nashville's Nissan Stadium on May 2 and 3, right after he appears in court.
Wallen's troubled history of drinking has also landed him in hot water with situations unrelated to the law. In 2021, he was condemned after being recorded using racial slurs while intoxicated. The video was allegedly taken at the end of a 72-hour bender, leading country radio stations to drop him and block him from attending several high-profile award shows.
Prior to that, he was uninvited from performing on Saturday Night Live in 2020 after he was caught breaking their strict quarantine guidelines. Wallen was seen partying with college girls, showing up to house parties and getting close with students while he was 25.
A source close to Wallen says that his issues with alcohol continuously come around to haunt him, stating he's not his true self under the influence.
"Morgan is generally a nice, fun person to hang out with, but when he gets going he doesn't know when to stop," the insider spilled. "Morgan and alcohol is a problem and it's been a problem that keeps coming back around."
The singer has previously admitted that he frequently challenged rules and orders growing up, which has turned into a habit in his adulthood.
"I've not ever been the one to follow the rules as much as some people ... everybody pretty much knows what you do. They expect you to behave a certain way, and if you don't, they scold you. I absolutely hated that growing up, and I think a lot of my tendencies come from that," he said.
