Darius Rucker breaks silence, explains 'crazy thing' about drug arrest
Rucker was originally pulled over in February 2023 for expired tags
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Darius Rucker broke his silence on his February arrest, saying, "It is what it is."
Tennessee authorities took Rucker, 58, into custody Feb. 1 after the "Wagon Wheel" singer turned himself in. He was charged with two counts of simple possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance and one count of a violation of the state's vehicle registration law, Fox News Digital previously confirmed.
"I went down, and we handled it," Rucker said during an appearance Tuesday on the "Today" show. "My lawyers are taking care of it. It is what it is."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Rucker.
Darius Rucker claimed the drugs he was arrested for in February 2024 did not belong to him. (Getty Images)
"It was funny because I was going to a friend’s house, they were moving and asked me to take some stuff," Rucker told the outlet. "And I did and got pulled, got stopped. And the crazy thing was, they let me go."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"And it was a year later that I get a phone call that said there was a warrant for my arrest," he continued. "So I went down. Fifty-seven years, I’ve never seen the inside of a jail cell."
Rucker was originally pulled over by the Franklin Police Department in February 2023 for expired tags, Officer Ryan Schuman told Fox News Digital at the time of the country music star's arrest.
Darius Rucker was booked into Williamson County jail on Feb. 1. (Williamson County Sheriff's Office)
During the stop, police noticed a strong odor of marijuana and found a jar of un-stamped pills. Rucker handed over a small marijuana blunt before officers searched him. Rucker said he didn't know what the pills were as they were given to him by his girlfriend, according to authorities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rucker was released during the 2023 traffic stop, pending identification of the unmarked pills. The pills were later identified as psilocin, otherwise known as magic mushrooms, by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A warrant was issued for his arrest in December and Rucker turned himself in nearly a year after the initial traffic stop.
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Darius Rucker spoke about the arrest for the first time in a new interview. (Getty Images)
Rucker claimed the drugs found on him during the traffic stop belonged to his friends.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"They were moving and couldn’t fly with it," he explained to the "Today" show. "They said, ‘Can you take this?’ and I said, 'Yeah.'"
Rucker's lawyer, Mark Puryear, said the musician was "fully cooperating" with authorities, in a statement shared with Fox News Digital at the time of the arrest.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hootie & the Blowfish went back on tour in May. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Rucker's career success began when he was a member of Hootie & the Blowfish. The group reunited for a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album "Cracked Rear View," which began in May. According to Rucker, "Cracked Rear View" is one of the "top 10-selling studio records of all time."
After releasing four more albums with Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker embarked on his solo journey as the group took a hiatus in 2008.
Since his transition into the country music world, Rucker has released many hit songs, including "Wagon Wheel," "Come Back Song," "Alright" and "Don't Think I Don't Think About It."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Darius Rucker has found success in the country music world as well. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)