Sara Evans’ Husband Releases Statement After Felony Arrest
Jay Barker has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The husband of country singer Sara Evans has issued a statement after a scary incident of domestic violence over the long weekend, which has resulted in felony assault charges for sports-radio host and former University of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker.
Married to the “Suds In the Bucket” hitmaker since 2008, news broke Saturday (January 15) that Barker had been arrested in Nashville the previous night, after allegedly trying to ram his vehicle into a car Evans was a passenger inside. Evans and Barker’s marriage is reportedly in the process of ending, and Evans was apparently getting a ride home from a party with a friend at the time. According to various reports, Barker then left the scene of the incident before returning to speak with officers, and was placed in 12-hour domestic-violence hold after being booked on a $10,000 bond. He has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Although Evans had apparently filed for divorce from Barker in August, citing “irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct,” no statements on what led to the assault have been released. Barker has broken his silence, however, issuing a statement on his radio show’s Instagram page Sunday (January 16).
Saying he is “humbled beyond words” by support he has received from friends and fans in the Alabama sports community, Barker suggests there is more to the story than media reports have pieced together, and goes on to ask for privacy.
“We all confront challenges in life, and my family and I are facing one now,” he writes in a two-page post. “Unfortunately, headlines and quick-to-publish news stories do not adequately capture the full context and complex fabric of our lives. I love my family dearly, and at this difficult time, I respectfully ask for privacy for the sake of my family and especially for our kids.”
Barker and Evans have a blended family of seven children from previous marriages. Evans latest album is the retro-covers themed Copy That from 2020, which included the non-charting single “If I Can’t Have You.”
