Country singer Zach Bryan says he was arrested and briefly held in jail: "I was an idiot"

Country singer Zach Bryan says he was arrested this week, admitting he was an "idiot," and explaining the ordeal on social media Friday. Bryan, 27, was arrested on a misdemeanor complaint of obstruction of an investigation, according to CBS Tulsa affiliate KOTV.

After first posting a written statement on X about what he called an "incident with Oklahoma Highway Patrol," Bryan posted a video where he goes into detail about two incidents with law enforcement this week. 

Bryan, an Oklahoma native, said he was first pulled over for speeding while driving through a small Oklahoma town. He said the officer asked for his license, registration and address – but Bryan told him he was uncomfortable giving his address because he is a musician.

"He says, 'If you don't give me your address, I'm going to have to take you to jail,'" Bryan said, adding that after refusing again, the officer asked him to get out of the car and he put handcuffs on him.

for the sake of transparency on yesterday pic.twitter.com/IJRjEDOrCH

— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) September 8, 2023

After talking about the situation with the officer and explaining why he didn't want to give the officer his address, Bryan eventually did provide it, he says in the video. The officer ultimately let Bryan go. 

"It frustrated me a lot because I didn't know if I had a right to refuse giving him my address or not," Bryan said. 

But that was just the first incident. On Friday, Bryan and his security guard began driving from Oklahoma to Boston in separate cars, he says. On the way, Bryan saw his security guard get pulled over.

Bryan left his car and was told by law enforcement to get back into his vehicle, he says. "He's like, 'Get back in your vehicle or I'm going to have to take you to jail.' Like a dumba** I said, 'Take me to f***ing jail? What do you mean?'" Bryan said he got "too lippy" with the officer and didn't "help my situation at all."

He said after being handcuffed he was "mouthing off like an idiot." He kept interrupting the responding officer, and was taken to jail for what he said was "a few hours." 

"When I got there, it lightened up because I cooled off a little bit," he said. "The cop and me ended up shaking hands. I ended up apologizing online because I realized my actions didn't reflect who I was as a person."

He said he still has to "deal with the legalities" of the arrest. He thanked those who defended him online but said he didn't need it, admitting he was an "idiot." 

"I did go to jail, they didn't play favorites," he said. "I was an idiot today and my decisions didn't reflect who I am as a person and I want to make that clear. I should've been smarter about it."

Bryan, a Navy veteran, was booked at the Craig County Sheriff's Office, according to CBS Tulsa affiliate KOTV, but it appears his mug shot has been removed from the sheriff's office website. CBS News has contacted the sheriff's office and is awaiting response. 

The obstruction charge is given when someone "willfully delays or obstructs any public officer in the discharge or attempt to discharge any duty of his or her office." 

Bryan received a 2023 Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for his song "Something In The Orange." His song  "I Remember Everything" featuring Kacey Musgraves debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. 

His self-titled album also hit No 1. on the Billboard Hot 200 this week.

Bryan has advocated for inclusivity and had defended transgender rights, according to Entertainment Tonight. Bryan had a public disagreement with fellow country star Travis Tritt this year after Tritt criticized Anheuser-Busch after the company partnered with actor and influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who is transgender, for a Bud Light ad. 

"I mean no disrespect towards anyone specifically, I don't even mind @Travistritt. I just think insulting transgender people is completely wrong because we live in a country where we can all just be who we want to be It's a great day to be alive I thought," Bryan tweeted.

The pair said they talked in person and worked out their disagreement. 

Caitlin O'Kane

Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.