John Rich Reportedly Kicked Off Flight, Too Drunk to Fly

“Did John Rich have a great time with fans in Las Vegas? Yes. Was there an altercation? Absolutely not,” a spokesperson for the country mogul tells The Boot in the wake of reports that he was kicked off a flight Sunday (Dec. 4) for being too intoxicated.

TMZ broke the news that Southwest crew members on a Las Vegas-to-Nashville flight asked John to leave the plane before its scheduled 10:50 AM PT takeoff, deeming him too drunk to fly. Sources on the flight tell TMZ the ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ winner appeared to be heavily under the influence of alcohol as he boarded the plane, also claiming that John was arguing with a few passengers before boarding — something the singer obviously denies. But all are in agreement that the singer did not argue with the crew as they asked him to get off the flight. In fact, it seems he left peacefully.

“Our crew assessed the situation and determined that the passenger was not fit for travel under governing federal aviation regulations,” a Southwest spokesperson tells TMZ. “The customer was rebooked on a later Southwest flight out of Las Vegas, but chose to make alternative travel arrangements. We have processed a refund for the customer and his travel companion.”

John has never been shy about enjoying adult beverages every now and then. “I’ve got a King James Bible in one hand and a Crown Royal and Coca Cola in the other,” he once joked with The Boot. But the ‘Shuttin’ Detroit Down’ singer also assured us that marriage has calmed him down a bit. “It definitely evens me out,” says the husband of three years to Joan Bush Rich, and dad to their two sons. “If I have nobody to talk to and nobody to report to at the end of the day, with as wild as my life is, I’ll wind up drinking too much, getting in too much trouble and my music would suffer.”

John performed with Cowboy Troy at Las Vegas’ Eastside Cannery on Saturday. “Had fun with the folks in Vegas!” he posted on Twitter. “What a great night! Country fans are the BEST! Thx for coming out to the show, see you soon!”