A long time back I had a post that asked the question, is John Rich an asshole? I wrote it in response to another blog who said he was out and about acting like one.
Let's just say it's been a popular post all these months with a pretty lively comment section. I personally don't know anything about John Rich except his music and his public persona so I really don't have an opinion one way or the other. I must let you know, I do like John's music (just so you guys know I'm not like out to get him or something).
Well I had a reader email me who has been following John Rich's lawsuits. Seems following his lawsuits and legal issues has turned into quite the past time. This reader emailed me court documents, police reports, and a voicemail recording of John Rich in action. I sort of debated about posting the recording since I don't know all the legalities of such things, but then I thought about it and John Rich actually knew he was being recorded since he tells the guy to play it back in court in front of a jury. At first I thought it was a voicemail message, but after listening to it again I'm thinking it's not.
Now I must tell you, I have no clue the whole back story before this recording took place. I'm not passing judgment because maybe the guy whose phone John Rich (and reportedly Sebastian Bach) called is a major jerk, I don't know. I do know that the person John is talking to is Jared Ashley who was on Nashville Star and that John may be getting sued due to whatever ongoing issues these two have. What the history is, what went wrong, why John Rich doesn't like him and feels the urge to threaten to kick his behind, I have no clue, but reportedly John Rich got on stage March 12 with Ashley and punched him. True or not? I don't know, but there is a police report and other legal documents below that talks a little more in depth about everything. His court papers from duking it out with that rocker guy in California is included too.
Have fun going through it all. Just click the links to open the papers.
Warning: The recording has a lot of cuss words, use caution if you have sensitive ears or are listening in front of your kids or at work.
Download Affidavit of Jared Ashley
Download Complaint against John Rich
Download Exhibit 49 chance police report
Download Police report against John Rich
Who wrote the affidavit? Jerrod's mommy, or maybe his babysitter? The only thing they accomplished with their bad grammar and juvenile slang is to make him look like the sniveling titty baby everybody in town already knows he is.
If i have to hear one more time how humiliated and powerless jerred felt i think i may puke.
If this is the best attorney he can come up with he might want to stay home one or two nights a year and work on his crap i mean craft.
If he was a real country singer , he would grow a set of cajones and swing back , or hell swing first........ and then take off running as fast as his little legs will carry him !!!!!!!!! Maybe his little man syndrome is bigger than both of them.
Posted by: John Scott | April 13, 2010 at 05:39 AM
Hey, Goodlord, if you did actually have knowledge of the justice system you would know that there are two sides to an arguement.
Posted by: mnkat | June 14, 2009 at 11:43 AM
I haven't met John, but his brother Isaac who was mentioned in the affidavit I have. And he is crazy! He use to come in the bar I worked at with his friends and they would get very drunk. One night he got upset over his bill stated it was too much. I had to call the manager over to get him to pay it. He kept saying "do you know who my brother is?!" Then he went on to say he'd come back there and burn the place down that it was a nothing little bar. Go figure I didn't get a tip out of him, but frankly I didn't give a shit who is brother was! He was banned that night. I've heard from other people in the bar business here in Nashville that his brother is just as bad. Always causing trouble where he goes.
Posted by: JustaBartender | June 04, 2009 at 03:38 PM
I read the affidavits, and with my knowledge of the criminal justice system, I do believe John will lose in all three cases. I honestly hope a Judge sentences him to some kind of treatment program as well.
This whole thing looks to me like John is trying to live his life like Johnny Cash. Act wild, have a drinking problem (along with who knows what else), be a womanizer, and then while he's married to Joan he will try to find his "June". John, you are writing your own story and it doesn't look to me like it's headed in the same direction. If you don't stop now, you'll forever be remembered as 'the biggest dick-hole-ass-head on music row.'
Posted by: GoodLord | May 31, 2009 at 09:46 AM
There sure are a lot of negative comments about John's wife. How many of you actually KNOW her? My guess: zero.
Posted by: Jenny | May 29, 2009 at 02:16 PM
I saw this story on AOL as one of the lead stories for the entertainment section and I immediately jumped to John's defense, but after coming to this site and looking at the video I have changed my tune. John is a class A jerk. To just stand there and stare at Ashley like that was absolute intimidation and shows that he is either too full of himself or has a drinking problem, or most likely a lot of both.
Although I still love his music I am no longer a fan of his personally.
I am saddened that I have lost the rose-colored glasses.
Posted by: Paula | May 29, 2009 at 09:31 AM
Public confrontation like this was, and the voice mail message having the phone passed between others to give "warnings" are intimidation (bully) techniques.
Didn't OJ do something similar in Vegas, then "visit" them with "friends" to "talk" ?...
Hey John - I enjoy the act of B&R and your solo work of late, but try to keep from becoming a footnote in the industry or known as inmate 22578 anytime soon OK?
Posted by: G | May 29, 2009 at 08:18 AM
Yall seem to know alot about Joan. Where does all this personal info about her come from? Does she have a reputation in Houston or Nashville?
I think based on her marrying John it causes people to think she's not a very nice person because of his bad reputation. She obviously is ok with his behavior.
Posted by: m | May 11, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Your preaching to the choir,sister! Like I've said Joan is being awfully lay back for this stuff. I mean come on, i would be worried shitless not just for John but technically doesn't getting sued eventually lead to her stuff. If he runs outta funds and is still raising hell,,,not much gonna be left for her. MY bro is a lawyer, and he tells me these trials can last forever, mostly to milk the guy with the cash. John stands to lose in all 3 cases, regular money, medical expenses, lawyers expenses, and anything else they can grill up. THis is pretty risky, He said at the Tea Party he was expecting an audit this year. I think I would be a little nervous but John was saying "bring it on" at the Tea Party. This guy's nuts to say that to the IRS. Not to mention all the videos on YouTube about his behavior. I read he got into another fight recently and at the Awards was yelling at a fan right there on the orange carpet.???Who the hell does that? He calls Joan his "GREAT EQUALIZER"? bullshit, she doesn't do shit. June Carter..I think not! Well we'll see what happens, but word around Nashville that me and my friend heard is that Even the BNR tour looks to be gearing towards the last tour together. Due to a lot of fighting. But that could be just rumours. we'll see though
Posted by: Angel | May 10, 2009 at 05:29 PM
And I think his attraction to her might have to do with Joan being inferior to him in personal and professional success. I can't see him with a woman who is "bigger" than he is. Being the star and money maker in a relationship gives him alot of control. Were any of his other many girlfriends nearly as famous or successful as him? I doubt it. He dates beneath him for a reason.
But she certainly doesn't seem to know what a wife's job is: taking care of her husband. People say alcoholics won't get help unless they want it, and maybe that's true, but she has been with him for 8 years and that's plenty of time to tell John to change his ways. He calls her his own June Carter Cash, but that's wishful thinking. June sobered up Johnny. She saved his life and his career. Joan hasn't saved John, she didn't make him sober up before she married him. She doesn't keep him from getting into fights and being sued. He's gotten into more trouble AFTER the wedding. What has she done for him? He's worse than ever.
That's why I think she's after his money. If she cared about him she would have found a way to sober him up in the 8 long years they've been together. She would do something other than stand aside and let him make a fool of himself with his ridiculous and violent behavior.
Posted by: clare | May 08, 2009 at 02:46 PM
Clare:
JOhn has an ego so huge I cannot believe it. example..he was bragging on shit load of radio stations (on youtube)about assaulting that Montano guy in LA. He has no problem leaving voice mails threatening Jared Ashley, not to mention stalking the poor guy. He is either lost his mind..or believes he is so high and mighty that he will get away with it. Now I THINK John doesn't like to be out done, an ego thing. Big Kenny's wife is a model like a real one with modeling expeirence in Europe. She's also a business woman and designs jewelery "love everybody" jewels. (really nice). I really think that's the reason he liked Joan. THe modeling title (even though she hasn't modeled for anyone other than her company from my research).
But youre right, he doesn't seem to be slowing down one bit, and she is NOT getting in his way at all. HE's gonna crash and burn at this rate, odd that she doesn't see that, no? Those two are gonna be fun to watch. But I got my eye on her a litte more. SHe's smarter than she's letting on, I think its JOAN taking John for a ride. And its gonna be a bumpy ride.
Posted by: AMY | May 08, 2009 at 01:58 PM
What do you mean by every "single" time? And why would it be a boost to John's ego to have a no-name wannabe model for a wife? Do you know Joan?
I can't see how he could have lost his head over her because she doesn't sound like such a great girl, but maybe she has made herself so "agreeable" to him that he feels like he has a pretty nice setup. A wife who lets him get drunk, sleep with other women, and keep her at home while he parties....probably sounds good to a guy like him. Maybe he started out as a nice guy, but he's a jaded cynical man now.
I think she put up with everything because she knew him from his Lonestar days, and that gave her a big advantage over the other girls. If she could keep his interest long enough maybe he'd marry her. And apparently she made herself available to him even while she was dating other men. That must have went to John's ego. But if she was really anxious to marry him she could have just let herself get pregnant earlier. I don't think he would've avoided marriage for so long if there was a child.
If she's that self-serving and conniving, she's probably banking on a big payout if it goes bad. But John definitely made her sign a prenup before the wedding.
Posted by: clare | May 07, 2009 at 07:51 PM
hey brenda, I agree. son of a preacher man...hahaha Must have been a freakin windy ass day when that apple fell from that tree.
As for Joan, don't sell her short..she's got her own objectives. No woman, no matter how shy or timid or sweet, puts up with that kinda stuff without having a plan. Child support goes for alot these days...so does alimony. Maybe the girl is just gearing up. Making some plans for the future. She is a business woman none the less. The model talk is just a cover, a lure if you will for the right catch.
John maybe semi-smart but his ego gets the better of him every time. Every "single" time.
Posted by: AMY | May 07, 2009 at 03:42 PM
I always said to my kids "bad behavior, bad results". We'll have to see how this "plays" out.
Posted by: Marie | April 15, 2009 at 03:59 PM
John Rich, Son of a Preacher Man, Huh. Maybe you should start acting like one, because right now, you are acting like a hypocrite.
Posted by: Brenda | April 14, 2009 at 07:32 AM
I wonder how John's new wife feels about these lawsuits and Jared Ashley's claims, which mention multiple women being with John. He was sued by that rocker guy in California a month before their wedding, and that affidavit mentions John getting girls to come to his hotel room. And the other lawsuits weren't just stuff from before the wedding but from as recent as March. Why doesn't she try to curb John's wildness before he ends up in jail?
I wonder how he defends himself to her. I personally can't think of any good excuse for cheating, but maybe John can.
And it sounds like everyone in Nashville is aware of John's womanizing, so why did Joan marry him anyway. Is she really desperate enough to be ok with it? Alot of women who marry famous men know there will be other girls, but they put up with it so they can marry him. It's really kinda sad and pathetic in my opinion.
Posted by: hayley | April 08, 2009 at 11:44 AM
What we have here is basically two assholes in a quarrel. They both think WAY too much of themselves. I do agree that Ike Rich should be put on some kind of lease and get over his attitude just because he is riding his brother's coat tails.
Both Ashley and Chance come off as two bitter people that lost whatever shot they had at fame...which seem to be their justification for their lives.
I don't see this turning out well for Ashley. While Rich might be a jerk, this lawsuit will shun Ashley from anyone wanting to have dealings with him on any major label level.
Posted by: MusicMan | April 08, 2009 at 09:44 AM
Ok people, settle down.Jimmy Buffet had a song years ago called "The Fool Button" which basically tells how everyone has a fool button when they get drunk it's just a matter of who,what and when it's going to be pushed.(I call it the asshole button myself) Someone pushed John's that night,that's really all it looks like to me.
Posted by: Ron | April 04, 2009 at 08:26 PM
John is an ass who thinks he runs country music. Threatening anyone is unaceptatble. It's about time John learned that we respect his songwriting, but he can keep his opinions and bullying to himself.
Posted by: MusicalJustice | April 02, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Jared Ashley did a radio interview telling his side of the story. John hasn't responded to the radio station yet. The interview is on their website www.us1035.com Jared asks them "How did you get my cell phone number?" They of course tell him that his number and John's are all over the internet now.
Posted by: Judy | March 31, 2009 at 10:45 PM
From Mom with a Microphone blog (interviews with stars)-
"John Rich says he never has and never will have his significant other on the red carpet, due to his privacy."
Right.... so Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, George Strait, Big Kenny, James Otto and dozens of other male country stars (whose wives are unknowns) don't care about privacy because they like to have their spouses with them to celebrate their success???
Who is he fooling? He just doesn't want her with him anywhere but at home. He is either hiding her, hiding from her (to go to those after parties alone), or he doesn't want her to get attention for being his wife. After all, she was a model and models like attention. What a control freak. He definitely doesn't see her as his equal.
Posted by: hannah | March 31, 2009 at 03:29 PM
Did they ever have a honeymoon? 4 days after the wedding he did shows in Vegas, then there were a couple weeks off until Christmas and New Years. And he has been promoting his new music since mid-January. Unless it happened right before Christmas or right after New Years, they didn't have one. And he's never mentioned having one.
His career always comes first! He's not even a new struggling artist, he could've taken time off for a honeymoon. I can understand if he's not into vacations every year but a honeymoon is important to a wife, especially when her husband is a workaholic like John.
It's all about his career, he's so selfish. And obviously he isn't dying to spend time alone with Joan!! That's a huge red flag, I think. Poor girl, she really made a mistake with him.
Posted by: ellen | March 31, 2009 at 03:01 PM
I think Joan is an enabler. She was his girlfriend for 8 years and is now his wife, the one person in a position to help him, but she does nothing. Why didn't she say, "Go to rehab first and then I'll marry you." Why doesn't she go with him to keep him from drinking too much? Where is she??? At home where he left her.
If she cares about him at all, she would stand up to him. She sees what he's like when he gets home after a night of drinking and fighting. Does she just keep her mouth shut and ignore it? What kind of wife is that?!
And has she seen those affidavits, or even cares what's in them? I think that's proof that she doesn't care. His womanizing in writing and she still puts up with it. Either she's gullible as hell or a gold digger.
I thought he only married her because she was pregnant too, when I heard about the surprise wedding. But then she would be around 6 months pregnant, since the proposal in October. Someone would have seen her and said something by now. And I also heard that John's song "I Thought You'd Never Ask" was written for her months before he proposed, so he had been planning to propose for a while.
I think he ONLY got married because he wants to have kids now. It's not about love, or settling down. He's getting older, and his career is booming. He wants legitimate kids to put in his brand new house. He chose the girl he knows will let him cheat and party and have things his way. He is in total control of their relationship. A perfect little family. I feel sorry for all of them.
And I know all this sounds really cynical, but he is a cynical guy. He does everything for a practical reason, usually to advance his career in some way.
Posted by: colleen | March 31, 2009 at 02:19 PM
In these complaints, it states that John is sometimes irrational and paranoid. If that is true, then my fear is that he is abusing other substances besides just alcohol. I agree with the previous post-he is losing control and he has never been committed to Joan. I really think she might be pregnant, because John said in a recent interview that they were working on some "little country singers" right now. That would explain the small, quickie wedding.
Posted by: Judy | March 31, 2009 at 01:34 PM
OK let's be objective here.
I have read those affidavits too, and besides that I have heard alot of pretty bad stories over the years. But I think John is literally consumed by his own alcoholism. He is 2 totally different people when he is drunk and when he is sober. I think the alcohol is at the root of his violent behavior and legal troubles.
He needs rehab. He needs help whether he wants it or not. He has immense talent and potential, and I hate to see that wasted because of stupid booze and a wild life.
But I think Joan is the reason for his womanizing. He is seeking out other women because he doesn't want to be with her. Maybe he was pressured into settling down by his family and management, but he is not committed to her and never was. He rebels against anything that ties him down. He needs a new woman who is strong enough to handle his stubborness and help him with his alcohol addiction. Joan is not that girl.
I think if he ever got sober he would be a good person. He has a good heart, but he is so compulsive and reckless that he loses control. His family needs to set up an intervention for him. It could save his career, and maybe even his life.
Posted by: claire | March 31, 2009 at 11:32 AM
As for his wife, I have stuck for her on other sites but now I just can't. I agree there must be something wrong with her too to get involved with this jerk. I've seen her website and thought well, she's probably a very nice person but now I wonder about that. Especially because John doesn't want to be seen with her or anything, maybe there's more truth to the rumors about her too.
Posted by: Susie | March 30, 2009 at 08:59 PM
Wow, up until now because I'm a fan of John Rich and Big Kenny I have always looked the other way when I heard rumors or stories about John. I thought it's just the press and people making more out of something but now I see that's not the case. I saw the YouTube video and John was really drunk which I think he is most of the time and I didn't understand what was going on when he was on stage. Now I know and I'm done with John Rich. What a jerk, lier, cheater, drunk, and an awful person. I hope that BIg Kenny disassociates himself from John and as for me I don't plan on buying any more cds or attending any concerts. One more thought, I'm heading over to John' 'free' fan club site that I have joined and letting them know what I think of him. Thanks for posting this and I hope a lot of people read this and the legal docs attached.
Posted by: Susie | March 30, 2009 at 08:56 PM
John to Joan, "What are you gonna believe, what you see or what I tell you?"
Must be why she has stayed with him for so long. The girl is either blind, dumb, or desperate. And he's a loser.
Posted by: bree | March 30, 2009 at 08:19 PM
John Rich, I now know he should be a has been period who does he think he is?Shame on all of them that is involved.
Posted by: Jeannie | March 30, 2009 at 02:14 PM
With all the lawsuits being filed against him, he will be lucky not to end up in jail! Where was his wife when he was out ruining his life?! Either she doesn’t care what he does or he won’t listen to her. But judging by those affidavits, the cheating while they were dating is well documented. He is out of control. Why doesn't he stop before he loses everything?
Posted by: lora | March 28, 2009 at 09:39 PM
I am not going to judge who is right or wrong, but I was struck by Mr Jared Ashley affidavit, where he brought up every thing John Rich has done in the years he has known him. Why?? Great PUBLICITY for Jared Ashley, I believe some of it was stuff that could have been left out.
John Rich is known to be wild, but there are alot singers, country and pop, that are also, it just seems to me, that John Rich is more open. Good or bad? Just is.
Posted by: glory2001 | March 28, 2009 at 09:23 AM