Yesterday videos went around where people screen-recorded country sensation Jake Owen as he had an emotional “crash out” on his Instagram story. What followed was the most love-filled outpouring of fan and peer support, in the comments and through linked videos. Jake has since shared a statement addressing his outburst, which iHeart Country has covered extensively here.
“I really feel responsible and owe it to you all to hop on here unscripted after thinking about some things that happened, you know, the other day when I popped on here and was just overly emotional and kind of let myself break down in front of the world,” Owen, a father of two, said in a video he shared on TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms on Thursday.
“My world consists of my little girls. I’m a father, I’m a son, I’m a brother and I’m a friend to so many people. And I felt like — I worried I scared a lot of people, and I’m really, I’m regretful for that because I don’t want to worry anybody. I am OK. I’m fine.” Owen went on to say that he realizes “that we all do have things that we have to work on,” and said he feels as though he’s “supposed to be strong” and have “everything figured out. …And I wanted to tell you all that no matter who you are out there watching this, I for sure don’t have it figured out. And I’m working on that.”
On any given day I can scroll my social media timelines and see any number of women crying, yelling, falling apart, and it’s normalized, but for a man to do it shows a certain vulnerability that they often get punished for. Jake just recently released one of the more adventurous and experimental bodies of work of his career, partnering with Shooter Jennings for his “Dreams to Dream” album, and is at the beginning of the promotional cycle for it and the accompanying tour. At the same time he has a complicated relationship with the mothers of his 2 children, and these are heavy burdens to carry. I love that his colleagues and fans stepped up to defend him.
He also clarified rumors that he’d been intoxicated when he shared the original video earlier this week. Owen, who marked four years of sobriety in September, said “that was at like 10 o’clock in the morning after I left my business manager’s office. I was completely sober. I have been sober of four years. …I felt so good every day, up until yesterday, waking up and realizing I had that feeling again of letting people down and letting them see a side of me that was broken. So, I realized I still have healing to do. I still have things I need to fix. I’m not fixed yet. And I’m grateful for those people out there that have reached out to tell me that you’d be there for me.”
Owen also clarified that “this has nothing to do with country music,” and he has no intention of leaving the music business. Many of the friends who checked on him are friends from the music industry, he said. Some of the people who shared supportive comments include Lady A’s Charles Kelley, Dan + Shay star Dan Smyers’ wife, Abby Smyers, Brian Kelley and wife Brittney Kelley, Chase Rice, Walker Hayes, Jon Langston and more. Owen said, “I think I was just in an emotional place where I feel like my dreams that I followed, I’ve fulfilled, but yet, it’s also deteriorated my family life. And a lot of that is due to my own decisions and choices that I have to be accountable for, and I just wanted you guys to know that.
“I’m just a guy that’s at a place in his life where he’s trying to just figure out how to be a better man…and I’m on my way,” Owen said. “love you. I’m sorry if I scared you. Thank you for your messages.”
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