Brittany Aldean, Jason Aldean’s wife of nine years, is known for having her husband’s back.
The influencer and former NBA dancer, 35, supported her husband, country singer Jason Aldean, after his 2023 song, “Try That In a Small Town,” sparked widespread controversy for its perceived condonement of racism and violence.
“Never apologize for speaking the truth,” she wrote in an Instagram post last summer, in an apparent reference to the backlash from the song.
Jason Aldean, 47, also thanked his wife for being his “shotgun angel” in an Instagram post celebrating their most recent anniversary in March.
Brittany and Jason Aldean have been together for more than a decade and share two children.
Read on to learn more about Brittany Aldean and why she has made headlines through the years.
She was a contestant on ‘American Idol’
Aldean (then Brittany Kerr) auditioned for Season 11 of “American Idol” in 2012, when she was 24. She impressed the judges with her rendition of Joss Stone’s “Spoiled” and made it to the Hollywood round before being eliminated.
She opened up about being “extremely nervous” to sing in front of other people in a 2012 interview with The Charlotte Observer.
“I got a karaoke machine for my birthday, which was in June,” she said. “I had a cord to the microphone, and I would stick the speaker in the other room and sing in another room, so that I didn’t have to be in front of everybody who wanted to hear me sing. I was that shy about it.”
At that time, Aldean was also a dancer for Lady Cats, the dance team for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats. She married Jason Aldean in 2015
Brittany and Jason Aldean tied the knot in March 2015 in Mexico. She shared a throwback photo from their barefoot beach wedding in an Instagram post celebrating their anniversary last year.
“8 years married and forever to go❣️ Happy Anniversary, my love!!!!” she wrote in the caption.
Jason Aldean was previously married to his high school sweetheart, Jessica Ussery, from 2001 until they initiated divorce proceedings in 2013. Aldean and Ussery share two daughters, Keeley, 21, and Kendyl, 16.
In 2012, Jason and Brittany Aldean both publicly apologized after photos surfaced of them spending time together at a bar.
“The actions I portrayed recently were not a representation of my true character, but a lapse in judgment on my part,” Brittany said in a statement at the time, per People. “I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone that has been affected by this, including my friends & family.”
She shares two children with Jason Aldean
Brittany and Jason Aldean welcomed a son, Memphis Aldean Williams, in December 2017.
“Today was Memphis’ due date, but thankfully he came a week early so we get more time with him,” the new mom wrote on Instagram, sharing a photo of her husband and newborn. “You make life a trillion times better, little man!! We love you SO much.”
The couple welcomed a second child, daughter Navy Rome, on Feb. 4, 2019.
“Today our family became complete as we welcomed our daughter Navy Rome to the world,” Jason Aldean wrote on Instagram, sharing a photo of Navy. “Born on 2/4/19 weighing 7lbs 12oz and looking identical to her older brother. So excited to watch what life has in store for this little princess.”
She has launched multiple lifestyle brands
Aldean and her sister-in-law, Kasi Rosa Wicks, launched a clothing line called Brittany and Kasi, which featured t-shirts and other apparel printed with right-leaning messages, such as “Military Lives Matter,” “Unapologetically Conservative” and “The Unsilent Majority: Speaking Up to Protect Our Freedom.”
A portion of the proceeds from a Brittany and Kasi pop-up sale in November 2021 would be donated to the Special Forces Charitable Trust, Aldean wrote on Instagram.
She also launched a line of clip-in hair extensions, XO Britt Aldean, in early 2021. That venture ended in early 2023, according to Country Now.
Aldean is also a social media influencer with 2.5 million followers on Instagram.
She received backlash for her 2022 comments about her ‘tomboy phase’
Aldean sparked controversy with an August 2022 makeup video on Instagram.
“I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase,” she wrote in the caption. “I love this girly life.”
Jason Aldean responded to his wife’s post in the comments.
“Lmao!! Im glad they didn’t too, cause you and I wouldn’t have worked out,” he wrote, according to NBC News.
Her post drew criticism from some who read it as a criticism of gender-affirming care for minors. Country singer Cassadee Pope appeared to reference Brittany Aldean’s post in an August 2022 tweet.
“You’d think celebs with beauty brands would see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging,” she wrote on Twitter, now X. “But instead here we are, hearing someone compare their ‘tomboy phase’ to someone wanting to transition. Real nice.”
Country star Maren Morris weighed in with a reply to Pope’s tweet.
“It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie,” Morris wrote.
Aldean responded to both Pope and Morris directly in her Instagram story.
“The other day Memphis wanted to be a dinosaur and tomorrow Navy will want to be a cat,” she wrote. “They’re children. Some parents want to be accepted by society so badly, that they’re willing to make life-altering decisions for their children who aren’t old enough to fully comprehend the consequences of those actions.”
“Love is protecting your child until they are mature enough as an adult to make their own life decisions,” she added. “Thankful my parents allowed me to go through my tom boy phase without changing my gender.”
Brittany Aldean addressed the controversy a few days later in another Instagram post. She announced the release of a new Barbie-themed clothing line that would support an organization fighting “child exploitation and human trafficking.’
“Per usual, my words have been taken out of context over the last week,” she wrote in the caption, adding an eye roll emoji. “Instead of getting twisted about the twisting of my words, I’ve chosen to bring some good out of it.”
Following the fallout from Aldean’s viral post, Jason Aldean was dropped by his publicity firm of 17 years, The GreenRoom.
“We aren’t the best people for the gig anymore, but will always be big fans of his music — he is one of the greatest live entertainers in country music,” the PR firm’s co-owner, Tyne Parrish, told Billboard.
She came to Jason Aldean’s defense after the release of a controversial new song
Aldean supported her husband following the backlash from his controversial song, “Try That in a Small Town.”
The song, which came out in May 2023, polarized listeners. Critics said the song’s lyrics, as well as the images in the song’s music video, promoted racism, violence and vigilantism.
Some critics pointed to one set of lyrics in particular, in which Aldean sings about being given a gun by his grandfather.
“Got a gun that my grandad gave me / They say one day they’re going to round up,” the verse goes. “Well that s— might fly in the city, good luck.”
Aldean said in a statement that for him, the song was about “the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences.”
He also denied that the song was “pro-lynching,” calling that claim “not only meritless, but dangerous.”
Amid the controversy, Brittany Aldean shared an Instagram photo of her and her husband in July 2023 with the caption, “Never apologize for speaking the truth.”
She also appeared to address the controversy in a July 20 Instagram post thanking her supporters.
“Man do we love y’all. 💛 Free thinkers, lions not sheep… thankful for the support, always!” she wrote in the caption.