The guitarist returns to social media for the first time in months to 'set the record straight' on 'so many rumors' about him, sharing that he has been working on his sobriety after his 2021 DUI arrest.
- Jan 4, 2024
AceShowbiz - Joe Don Rooney, also known as J.D. Rooney, has broken his long silence since his 2021 DUI arrest. On Wednesday, January 3, the former Rascal Flatts star returned to X, formerly Twitter, for the first time in months to address "so many rumors" about him, including speculation that he's transitioning to a woman.
"First off, I am alive!" he wrote in his lengthy tweet. "There have been so many rumors and opinions thrown around about me - but I'm finally healthy and ready for the world. And NO, I'm not transitioning to be a woman. That thought has never entered my mind. Nothing against the trans community whatsoever but I needed to set the record straight."
The 48-year-old then reflected on his sobriety journey. "My life and career took a major detour at 4a in the early morning hours of Sep 9, 2021 when I ran square into a tree and about killed myself. I was drunk and I was so far gone with my life - I was completely out of control and finished with trying to fight the fears, depression and anxieties that had spun me out in a way I've never experienced before," he opened up.
Blaming "the pressures of my career and the many mistakes I made in regards to my home life, coupled with a lot of pain and trauma from my childhood and early on in my adult life" for his alcoholism, he admitted, "I was not a good father - I was not a good husband - and I was not a good band mate to my business partners."
He cited the 2021 car accident as the turning point of his life. He shared, "Fortunately, (and I truly believe this,) God lead me into that tree safely enough to not kill me - and luckily nobody else was involved and I didn't injure or kill anyone. That event lead me to treatment for my alcoholism for 4 months in the beautiful mountains of Utah."
"I was ashamed of myself," the country music star continued. "I was so full of fear and guilt, that it took me all of the those 4 months to really start understanding treatment and the AA way and how to best utilize these new tools that I downloaded from the amazing clinicians, counselors and other patients there."
After completing the treatment, Joe declared, "My life has been changed forever - and I'm grateful for the change. I've been sober now for almost 28 months come this Jan 13." He explained, "I never believed I could actually live my life without drinking. It had become such a huge part of my daily and nightly routine. I had tried to stop on my own in the past but the powerful nature of alcohol always found its way back into my life."
"With the help of my family and so many other professional clinical advisors and now numerous new sober forever friends, I've been able to get the train back on the tracks and live without the burden of alcohol. Now, I need to protect my family and protect my sobriety," he added, before revealing his new healthy lifestyle, "I have new healthy boundaries for the first time in my life. Only positive, loving, caring & understanding people may enter."
Expressing his gratitude to God, the "I'm Movin' On" said, "I wish there was a way I could give back to God what all God has given to me - but moving forward, I will do my best to reflect God's light of love and grace onto others like so many have done for me."
Joe was arrested and charged in Tennessee with driving under the influence after crashing his vehicle into a tree line in September 2021. In June 2022, he pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to one year in jail. However, he only spent two days in jail with the remaining 11 months and 27 days of his sentence suspended.
His alcoholism led to his now-ex-wife Tiffany Fallon to file for divorce in January 2021. Their divorce was finalized in December 2023. They share daughters Raquel, 13, and Devon, 9, as well as son Jagger, 17.
