Back in January, country singer Sara Evans’ husband, former Alabama quarterback and radio host Jay Barker, was arrested near the couple’s home in Nashville after he allegedly tried to hit Evans with a car.
Evans was leaving a party at the neighbors house, and got into a friend’s car to head back to the couple’s home, when Barker reportedly backed up his vehicle at a high rate of speed in an effort to hit them.
Both Evans and other witnesses claimed he was trying to hit them.
He was booked into Davidson County Jail and charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The former college and NFL quarterback released a statement following the arrest as well:
“I am humbled beyond words by the support I have received from friends, supporters, and so many in the Alabama family. To all of you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
We all confront challenges in life, and my family and I are facing one now. 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.”
With that being said, we have now learned that Barker ended up agreeing to a “best interest plea,” meaning he pled down from a felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge, to a misdemeanor reckless endangerment charge, according to TMZ.
He was put on a year of probation as part of the plea, and has to give up all his weapons and complete a 26-week batterers intervention program.
Evans and Barker are still married, but are currently separated and not living together.
Barker’s last Instagram photo features Evans… although, safe to say that it didn’t age well.
Sara Evans Career In Country Music
Evans is of course known for country hits like “Suds In The Bucket,” “Born To Fly,” “A Little Bit Stronger” and more.
She achieved her first #1 single in 1998 with “No Place That Far,” and went on to notch four more chart-topping hits. Her 2005 album Real Fine Place, as well as her 2011 album, Stronger, both went #1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart.
In 2006 she won an ACM Awards for Top Female Vocalist.
In 2019, she released an EP with her daughters as a trio called The Barker Family Band.