Jason Aldean music video dropped from CMT over racism allegations
Fox News senior correspondent Eric Shawn reports on growing criticism for country music singer Jason Aldean’s song, ‘Try That in a Small Town.’
Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany is standing by her husband’s side.
After Aldean’s new single, "Try That In A Small Town," sparked backlash, Brittany reacted on her social media and thanked fans for their support.
"Man do we love y’all. Free thinkers, lions not sheep… thankful for the support, always!" she wrote on her Instagram Wednesday.
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The comments section quickly filled with support from the Aldeans' loyal fans.
"I stand with Jason Aldean," one comment read with an American flag emoji.
Another Instagram user quipped, "Brittany Aldean for president."
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"A power couple, speaking out for our COUNTRY and our children, I can never thank y’all enough for allowing the rest of us lions to start showing up and showing OUT!" one fan passionately wrote.
Jason Aldean's wife Brittany defends country singer after "Try That In A Small Town" music video faced backlash. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Brittany shared her thoughts on Instagram with a photo of her dressed in a yellow two-piece outfit.
She also took to her social media to post a screenshot showing Jason Aldean’s song and music video ranking No. 1 on the music charts. Brittany added a fire emoji to the Instagram Story.
Brittany Aldean took to her social media to post a screenshot of her husband Jason Aldean’s song and music video ranking No. 1 on the music charts. (Brittany Aldean/Instagram)
Her posts come after Country Music Television (CMT) pulled Jason’s "Try That In A Small Town" music video from their platform. CMT confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the clip was pulled from its rotation but did not provide more context for the decision.
"Try That In A Small Town" was released in May, and the lyrics speak to small towns not putting up with riots and lawlessness many cities have faced in recent years.
Some of the lyrics in the song, included in Aldean's forthcoming, as-yet-untitled album, include, "Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they're gonna round up / Well, that s--- might fly in the city, good luck / Try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road / You cross that line, it won't take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don't / Try that in a small town."
Jason Aldean faced backlash for his song "Try That In A Small Town," prompting the country star to speak out and defend himself. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
Scenes from the music video were shot outside the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where an 18-year-old Black man named Henry Choate was lynched in 1927. The courthouse was also a pivotal site during the Columbia race riot in 1946.
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On Wednesday, the production company for the music video, TackleBox, confirmed the music video was shot at Maury County Courthouse, adding that it is a "popular filming location outside of Nashville." Several music videos and movies have filmed there, including the Lifetime Original movie "Steppin’ into the Holiday" with Mario Lopez and Jana Kramer.
In its statement, the company said, "Any alternative narrative suggesting the music video’s location decision is false," and noted that Aldean did not pick the location.
Jason Aldean has fiercely defended the music video for his new country song, "Try That In A Small Town." (Monica Murray)
In the wake of the music video being pulled and general outcry over the song, Aldean took to social media on Tuesday to speak out.
"In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests," Aldean shared with his nearly 8 million followers across social media.
"These references are not only meritless, but dangerous," he said in part. "There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it – and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage – and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music – this one goes too far."
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Brittany Aldean shared a quiet moment with husband Jason Aldean as his latest music video faced controversy. (Instagram/ Brittany Aldean)
Meanwhile, regarding the music video, Aldean's wife, Brittany, previously offered her support on social media, sharing a selfie of the couple while on the beach and writing, "Never apologize for speaking the truth."
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She also went on her Instagram Stories, writing, "Media… it’s the same song and dance. Twist everything you can to fit your repulsive narrative. How about instead of creating stories, we focus on the REAL ones such as CHILD TRAFFICKING? Food for thought."
Jason and Brittany got married in March 2015. The couple shares two children together – Memphis and Navy – while Jason also has two daughters from his previous marriage to Jessica Ussery.
Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Stanton contributed to this report.
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