Jameson Rodgers is embroiled in a personal injury lawsuit after he allegedly struck a fan with a full, unopened beer can while performing at New Jersey’s Barefoot Country Music Festival in June 2022.
According to the lawsuit, Rodgers threw cans of Miller Lite beer into the crowd from the stage during his performance.
Plaintiff Samantha Haws says one of those cans struck her “violently and without warning in the head and facial area,” according to Billboard, and caused “severe, painful and permanent bodily injuries.”
The lawsuit was first filed in May 2024, and proceeded pretty quietly for over a year.
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But the case is in the news this week after an appeals court ruled that Sony Music—Rodgers’ label, and one of the defendants listed in the lawsuit—must remain involved.
Sony filed to remove itself as a defendant on the grounds that the label doesn’t have jurisdiction over the festival or security proceedings. But the court decided that Sony will continue to be a defendant, since Rodgers could be determined to be acting as an “agent” of his label during his performance.
As noted via a case update from Oct. 22, Molson Coors d/b/a Miller Brewing Company—AKA the brand of beer that Rodgers allegedly threw from the stage—is also a defendant in the lawsuit.
Who Is Jameson Rodgers?
A Mississippi native who began pursuing a music career in Nashville in 2010, Rodgers first gained traction in the industry as a songwriter. He wrote songs for acts such as Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan.
His first hit as a recording artist came with the single “Some Girls,” which hit the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart in October 2020.
Rodgers went on to release a duet with Luke Combs, “Cold Beer Calling My Name,” which was also a No. 1 hit on the Country Airplay chart. He also toured as Combs’ opening act in 2019.
Objects Being Thrown on Stage Is a Big Problem at Country Concerts
Airborne objects at shows—and their potential to harm someone—are a hot topic in the country genre, though typically it’s a fan in the crowd who’s throwing something toward the stage.
Luke Bryan says he’s had everything from beach balls to cell phones thrown at him while performing, while Zach Bryan once had a Zyn can hurled at him during a show.
Morgan Wallen has been a target, too, and he’s got a particularly pointed response lined up for situations like this one: He tosses the object back out into the crowd—but in the opposite direction from where it came from. That way, the offender won’t get their item back.
35 Country Music Lawsuits That Left Fans Shocked
The music business is a high-stakes, high-risk venture, and it’s not unusual for artists to wind up in court to defend their interests, as we’ll see in this gallery of the nastiest country music lawsuits.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
