Morgan Wallen has two Nashville mugshots. The first, from a May 2020 public intoxication arrest, went viral for his mullet, open mouth, and generally disheveled look. The second, taken in April 2024 after he threw a chair off the roof of a Broadway bar, is noticeably tidier, in part because Wallen asked officers for a comb before the booking photo was taken.
The 2020 Mugshot and Arrest at Kid Rock’s Bar
On May 23, 2020, Wallen, then 27, was arrested outside Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse on Lower Broadway in Nashville. According to the arrest affidavit, bar security removed him around 11 p.m. for kicking glass items inside. Once outside, officers said he smelled strongly of alcohol, appeared to be a danger to himself and others, and got into verbal altercations with passersby. Police gave him several chances to leave with his friends, and he refused.1WKRN. Country Artist Morgan Wallen Arrested After Incident at Kid Rock’s Honky Tonk He was charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct and released on a $500 bond.2The Tennessean. Morgan Wallen Arrested Nashville Bar
The booking photo showed Wallen with a mullet-style haircut, stubble, and his mouth hanging open as if the shutter had caught him mid-sentence.3Taste of Country. Morgan Wallen Mug Shot The image spread quickly online and became one of the more recognizable celebrity mugshots of recent years. Wallen later addressed the arrest on social media, calling it “horse-playing” with friends, apologizing to bar staff, and thanking local authorities.1WKRN. Country Artist Morgan Wallen Arrested After Incident at Kid Rock’s Honky Tonk Court records suggest those charges were ultimately expunged.4USA Today. Morgan Wallen Timeline Hits Arrests
The 2024 Mugshot and the Chair-Throwing Arrest
Late on April 7, 2024, Wallen was at Chief’s, a six-story rooftop bar and restaurant on Broadway owned by country artist Eric Church. Police said Wallen picked up a chair and threw it from the rooftop. It landed on the street about three feet from two Metro Nashville police officers.5NBC News. Morgan Wallen Arrested Throwing Chair From Rooftop Nashville Bar No one was injured.6ABC News. Morgan Wallen Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Charges in Chair-Throwing Case
He was arrested shortly after midnight and booked on three counts of felony reckless endangerment and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. He posted a $15,250 bond and was released around 3:30 a.m.5NBC News. Morgan Wallen Arrested Throwing Chair From Rooftop Nashville Bar Chief’s updated its marquee sign the next day to read, “Our pigs fly. Our chairs don’t.”7KWQC. Our Pigs Fly Our Chairs Don’t – Bar Where Morgan Wallen Was Arrested Updates Sign
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released the booking photo publicly, and coverage described it as a “much neater photo” than the 2020 image, with Wallen smiling and his hair tousled but more composed.3Taste of Country. Morgan Wallen Mug Shot
Asking for a Comb Before the Booking Photo
Body-camera footage released after the arrest showed why the 2024 mugshot looks the way it does. Officers described Wallen as cordial throughout booking, and the footage caught him joking, asking how the process worked, and chatting casually.8People. Morgan Wallen Mug Shot Body Cam Footage Arrest Chiefs Bar
When told he was about to have a new booking photo taken, Wallen went straight to the 2020 image. He asked an officer, “Can you make sure I got my hair looking decent?” and then followed up, “You got a comb?” Officers eventually re-handcuffed him and gave him one. Sitting in the back of a squad car, he asked, “How do I look, man?” and said he planned to smile: “I’m a lot happier than I was then. I used to be mad. I’m not no more.”8People. Morgan Wallen Mug Shot Body Cam Footage Arrest Chiefs Bar
Separate body-cam footage from earlier in the night showed a different mood. In the cruiser, Wallen sang along to music on the officer’s playlist but told police to get him away because people were filming him. He said, “I ain’t done nothing wrong,” and, “I truly didn’t mean no harm,” and apologized repeatedly. He also called Eric Church from the scene.9KCRA. Newly Released Bodycam Footage Shows Morgan Wallen Denied Throwing Chair Off Bar Roof
How the 2024 Case Was Resolved
On April 19, 2024, nearly two weeks after the arrest, Wallen posted a statement on X saying he had wanted to make amends privately first. “I’ve touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief’s,” he wrote. “I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility.”10Deadline. Morgan Wallen Apologizes for Chair-Throwing Incident
On December 12, 2024, Wallen appeared in Davidson County Criminal Court before Judge Cynthia Chappell. The original felony charges were reduced, and he entered a conditional guilty plea to two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment under Tennessee’s judicial diversion statute.6ABC News. Morgan Wallen Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Charges in Chair-Throwing Case Judge Chappell approved a suspended sentence of 11 months and 29 days, with seven days to be served at a DUI education center and the remainder on supervised probation, for an effective term of two years. He was also ordered to pay a $350 fine plus court fees.11WoodTV. Morgan Wallen Is Sentenced in Chair-Throwing Case
The diversion matters because the plea does not count as a conviction. Under Tennessee Code § 40-35-313, if a defendant completes all probation conditions, the court dismisses the proceedings without an adjudication of guilt, and the defendant can then apply to have the arrest and court records expunged. The statute is available only once per person and only to defendants without prior felony or Class A misdemeanor convictions.12FindLaw. Tennessee Code § 40-35-313 Davidson County court records show the case as closed, with the judgment deferred.13Nashville Criminal Court. Criminal History – Morgan Wallen If he finishes probation successfully, the 2024 arrest and chair-throwing charges can be cleared from his record the same way the 2020 charges appear to have been.