Rascal Flatts star Joe Don Rooney is not transitioning into a woman (Picture: WireImage)
Musician Joe Don Rooney has put to rest rumours that he was transitioning into a woman as he shared the tumultuous last two years of his life.
The Rascal Flatts star, 48, has flown under the radar in recent years, after a devastating car crash which almost took his life.
Now however, Joe has returned to social media to share his newfound sobriety and peace with life – while also confirming he is not, despite rumours, trans.
In his first post to X in almost a year, he first apologised for the radio silence but thought the beginning of 2024 ‘would be a good way to send a message out to the word.’
‘First off, I am alive,’ he wrote.
‘There have been so many rumors and opinions thrown around about me – but I’m finally healthy and ready for the world. And NO, I’m not transitioning to be a woman.
The guitarist has ‘nothing against the trans community’ but ‘needed to set the record straight’ (Picture: Getty Images)
The country music star had apparently been the subject of rumours he was a member of the trans community, but insisted ‘that thought has never entered my mind.’
‘Nothing against the trans community whatsoever but I needed to set the record straight.’
He went on to detail how his life has changed since a devastating single-vehicle crash in 2021 where his vehicle ‘ran square into a tree and about killed myself’ while he was drunk.
Joe, who is now in Alcoholics Anonymous and has undergone treatment for alcoholism, said his drinking ‘had been an issue for many years’ and ‘as I grew older … my drinking grew worse.’
He blamed the ‘pressures of my career,’ trauma from his childhood and mistakes he made as a husband and father, saying they had ‘become too much to bear,’ but the accident made him take responsibility for his mistakes.
Joe was a part of Rascal Flatts for over 20 years but says he was not a good bandmate as he struggled with alcohol issues (Picture: Getty Images)
‘God lead me into that tree safely enough to not kill me – and luckily nobody else was involved and I didn’t injure or kill anyone. I could literally be in a Federal Prison for life right now. That is the reality of what my life had become,’ he went on.
The crash brought him to AA, and his ‘life has been changed forever,’ revealing he has been sober for almost 28 months, something he ‘never believed’ he could achieve.
He thanked God, his family and professionals who had helped him become sober and install ‘new healthy boundaries for the first time in my life.’
‘Thank you for all the love, support and prayers. I promise you, I’ve felt them all and I’m super appreciative. Here’s to making the best of 2024 and living our most healthiest, happiest and goal oriented lives ever!!’
He is looking ahead to a future of sobriety (Picture: FilmMagic)
Joe was arrested following the crash in Tennessee and charged with driving under the influence, pleading guilty in June 2022.
He was sentenced to one year in jail but only served two days, with therest of the sentence suspended; he also lost his driver’s license.
The star was married to former beauty queen Tiffany Fallon from 2003, however they separated in 2021, with the divorce finalised last year.
They share three children: Jagger, 15, Raquel, 13, and Devon, nine.
Joe is best-known as the guitarist in Rascal Flatts, joining in 1999; they split in 2021.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Trans people aren’t constantly plotting your downfall – our lives are actually quite boring
MORE : I came out as trans after completely losing my eyesight
‘Nothing against the trans community whatsoever but I needed to set the record straight.’