Jason Aldean is sharing his side of an alleged backstage incident involving Jelly Roll, claiming the singer showed up at one of his concerts after Aldean had already rejected a request to perform.
During a recent podcast appearance, Aldean said Jelly Roll contacted him looking for a spot on his ongoing North American tour. According to Aldean, Jelly Roll was dealing with major backlash over remarks about President Donald Trump and was looking for another opportunity to perform.
“He reached out to me asking if I could let him perform at one of my shows,” Aldean said. “From what I understood, things had gone south for him after the comments he made about President Trump, and he was looking for somewhere to perform.”
Aldean said he didn’t immediately respond to the request. When Jelly Roll allegedly continued calling, however, Aldean said he made his position clear.
“I didn’t answer his first messages, but then he started calling me directly,” Aldean recalled. “I told him respectfully that I wasn’t interested in having him on the show.”
Aldean claimed the situation took an unexpected turn on the night of one of his concerts.
According to his account, he noticed Jelly Roll backstage while he was performing and believed the singer was attempting to make his way onto the stage.
“Then, on the night of the concert, I spotted him backstage trying to get closer to the stage while I was performing,” Aldean said. “I immediately told security to escort him out.”
The alleged encounter would have been an uncomfortable one, particularly after Aldean said he had already declined Jelly Roll’s request.
Aldean also made it clear that he doesn’t believe he owes Jelly Roll another opportunity. He argued that artists have to accept the consequences when their own decisions create controversy around their careers.
“He made his choices, and now he has to deal with the consequences,” Aldean said. “I’m not interested in working with somebody like that.”
The alleged confrontation is likely to generate plenty of reactions from country music fans. Aldean and Jelly Roll have both developed huge followings, although their public images and musical styles are considerably different.
For Aldean, the issue appears to be settled. He says he declined the request, security intervened when Jelly Roll allegedly showed up anyway, and he has no intention of collaborating with him in the future.
If Aldean’s account is accurate, what started as a request for a guest appearance ended with security being called—and a potential collaboration being shut down before it ever had a chance to happen.
