Darius Rucker has been arrested for a minor drug offense.
The country star, 57, was taken into custody by the Franklin Police Department in Williamson County, Tennessee on Thursday, February 1, Us Weekly can confirm. Rucker was booked on three separate charges, including simple possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance x2 and one count of a violation of registration law, all misdemeanors.
According to TMZ, Rucker has been released on bail and is no longer in custody.
“Darius Rucker is fully cooperating with authorities related to misdemeanor charges,” Rucker’s lawyer Mark Puryear told Us in a statement on Thursday.
Before entering the world of country music, Rucker was the frontman of the band Hootie and the Blowfish until his departure in 2008. Following his departure from the band, Rucker’s first single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” debuted at No. 1, making him the first Black artist to reach number one on the Hot Country Songs charts since the legendary Charley Pride did so in 1983.
Rucker has since won a Grammy and scored 10 No. 1 with his solo work. Despite the recognition, the singer doubted he’d ever find success on his own.
“When I started doing the radio stations and stuff, I had people say to me, to my face, ‘My audience would never accept a Black country singer,’” he told ET Canada in August 2023. “That’s something that I was like, ‘Okay, just play the record, let’s see?’ And then they did.”
Other songs among Rucker’s No. 1 hits include “It Won’t Be Like This for Long,” “Alright,” “Come Back Song,” “This,” “If I Told You” and “For the First Time.” He’s scored both a Grammy and an ACM for his solo music, in addition to the two Grammys he won alongside his Hootie and the Blowfish bandmates in 1996.
While Rucker has seen massive amounts of professional success, his personal life has faced bumpier times. He and wife Beth Leonard split in July 2020 after 20 years of marriage. The twosome, who wed in 2000, share daughter Daniella, 22, and son Jack, 18. (The country singer also has a 28-year-old daughter, Carolyn, from a previous relationship.)
“Beth and I would like to share that after much reflection we have made the decision to consciously uncouple,” Rucker wrote via Instagram while announcing the pair’s decision to go their separate ways. “We remain close friends and parenting partners and continue to be each other’s biggest cheerleader. Our priority will always be our beautiful family. We have so much love in our hearts for each other and will continue to encourage growth and expansion in one other. Please be kind as we take on this journey, and we thank you for your love and support always.”
In November 2023, Rucker shared that he had to “work” at treating himself with kindness after the exes called it quits for good.
“My 50-something self is a lot more forgiving than the mid-20-something self,” he said during an Apple Music “Today’s Country Radio With Kelleigh Banner” episode. “You have to, because life goes on.”
He continued, “Your kids are still your kids, and you have a life, and you try to make the best of it. Like I always say, [Beth’s] a saint, she’s an amazing human being, and she’s a great mom. And we get through life.”