Maren Morris stands firm in 'Insurrection Barbie' feud with Brittany Aldean over anti-trans comments

Morris had previously considered skipping the 2022 Country Music Awards due to the controversy.

Maren Morris isn't backing down.

The country music star stands by her 2022 social media post about Brittany Aldean, the wife of "Try That in a Small Town" singer Jason Aldean. In an August 19 episode of Cosmopolitan’s Cheap Shots series, Morris reflected on her controversial tweet, saying, “I don’t really have any tweets that I’ve regretted. I don’t really have any tweets.”

Morris’s comment on X was a response to an Instagram post by Aldean that many found transphobic. Aldean had posted, "I'd really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life." Morris retorted, "It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie."

Instead of responding directly to Aldean, Morris left her remarks in a comment on an X post by Cassadee Pope, who had initially called out Aldean’s insensitive remark. Pope had written, "You’d think celebs with beauty brands would see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging. But instead, here we are, hearing someone compare their ‘tomboy phase’ to someone wanting to transition. Real nice.”

Morris's "Insurrection Barbie" comment sparked a wave of criticism from right-wing media, leading to an appearance by Aldean on Tucker Carlson Tonight. Aldean expressed surprise at the backlash, claiming her Instagram post was about "advocating for children." Carlson called Morris a "fake country music singer" and a "lunatic," prompting Morris to create "Lunatic Country Music Person" T-shirts, with proceeds going to Trans Lifeline and GLAAD's Transgender Media Program.

The feud between Morris and Aldean lasted for several months, involving various media appearances and social media exchanges. Morris even considered skipping the 2022 Country Music Awards due to the controversy. Reflecting on the situation, she told the Los Angeles Times, "I don't think I lost any fans over this. I've been very clear from the get-go. It sucks when artists stay quiet, stay quiet, stay quiet, and then they finally reach their breaking point and have to say something because something is so unjust or disgusting. And then they lose half their crowd because they stayed quiet."

Morris remains outspoken about her political views, whether challenging Tennessee police to "f---ing arrest me" for introducing her son to drag queens or supporting gay musician Adam Mac after he was dropped from a Kentucky music festival allegedly due to concerns about his sexuality. In June, Morris came out as bisexual in an Instagram post, writing, "Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+" and "happy pride."