Gretchen Wilson ‘Shocked and Sad and Just Flabbergasted’ By Recent Arrest
Gretchen Wilson admits she went through a range of emotions during and after her arrest in a Connecticut airport on Aug. 21. The singer has given her first interviews since the incident, which resulted in a breach of peace charge.
"I was completely shocked and sad and just flabbergasted," Wilson tells syndicated radio show Big D & Bubba (quote via Taste of Country). To ToC, she adds that she's "saddened by the whole thing."
"I don't know that I could say — I mean, I'm embarrassed that that situation got to where it was, but not personally," she continues. And despite joking, "Talk about a rough landing!" during her interview, Wilson knows "[i]t's not funny. It's not a funny situation at all."
According to reports, Wilson was involved in a "minor disturbance" on a flight landing at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn., on Tuesday night. The in-flight disturbance was allegedly a fight between Wilson and another passenger over the airplane's first-class bathroom that escalated into a physical altercation and, throughout the flight, "threatening hand gestures."
When the plane Wilson was on landed, Connecticut State Police responded to the situation, around 7PM local time. They say Wilson "became belligerent toward the troopers and caused a disturbance" while they were speaking with her. Wilson, 45, was then taken into custody and charged with breach of peace; her bail was set at $1,000.
"The unfortunate events that took place last Tuesday night are still an open case matter, and so I can’t discuss or comment on any specifics," Wilson said in a statement on Aug. 23. "I would like to respect the process, and am confident that the truth shall prevail."
To Taste of Country, Wilson elaborates: "It's been really frustrating for me not to be able to talk about it, because people who know me know that I just wanna get it straight. I'm reading all of these headlines and am like, 'Oh gosh, it's so wrong. It's all so wrong!'"
Wilson first found fame in the early 2000s, when her debut single, "Redneck Woman," became a smash hit on the country charts. The song hit No. 1 on the charts, earned Wilson a Grammy and helped her debut album, Here for the Party, sell more than 5 million units. After two more albums -- All Jacked Up in 2005 and 2007's One of the Boys -- Wilson began a self-imposed hiatus from the music industry. She released a new album, Ready to Get Rowdy, in 2017.
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