Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney Says He’s ‘Finally Healthy And Ready For The World’

Rascal Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney has broken his silence and said that he is “healthy and ready for the world” after a tumultuous few years.

In September 2021, Rooney was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after in Tennessee crashing his vehicle into a tree line. He sustained no injuries in the crash. In June 2022, Rooney pleaded guilty to the charges; he was sentenced to one year in jail, with all but two days of the sentence suspended, and the loss of his driver’s license.

Meanwhile, he also got divorced from his wife and former beauty queen Tiffany Fallon in 2023.

In a long message, posted on social media for his fans, Rooney apologized for his absence online and put to rest a few rumors that had surfaced about him.

“I’m sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted on any socials. It’s actually been a couple years since I’ve engaged with fans and friends on Twitter (now X) or Instagram. But I figured today, at the beginning of this brand new year 2024, would be a good day to send a message out to the world,” he started his message.

“First off, I am alive! 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,” he added.

Rooney then talks about his DUI incident and the impact alcohol had on his life.

“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 says.

He adds, “My drinking had been an issue for many years – and as they say in AA and treatment, it’s a progressive disease. I am living proof that the progressive nature of drinking can really ratchet up and as I grew older as an adult my drinking grew worse.”

Rooney also claimed that he has been sober for almost 28 months now.

I’m sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted on any socials. It’s actually been a couple years since I’ve engaged with fans and friends on Twitter (now X) or Instagram. But I figured today, at the beginning of this brand new year 2024, would be a good day to send a message out.

— JDR (@JoeDonRooney) January 3, 2024