Sara Evans Filed for Divorce Prior to Husband Jay Barker’s Arrest
The arrest report for former college football quarterback and radio personality Jay Barker reveals that he and Sara Evans were separated and living separately at the time of the incident. The country singer filed for divorce in August, according to court records.
Evans and Barker actually separated in April, according to the documents obtained by Scoop Nashville. In the months leading up to the Aug. 24 divorce filing, Barker was living in Homewood, Ala., a suburb of Birmingham. Barker works as the mid-day show host at Tide 100.9 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Tide 100.9 is owned by Taste of Country's parent company, Townsquare Media.
The couple married in 2008 and have lived in both Alabama and Tennessee since. They don't have kids together, but both have children from their respective first marriages. Prior to getting married, Evans and Barker agreed that the reasons for any divorce would be "kept private to the extent possible." In the documents, irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct are listed as the grounds for divorce. Furthermore, Evans alleges Barker is guilty of "inappropriate marital conduct."
The 49-year-old Barker was freed on bond on Saturday evening (Jan. 15) after being booked by Metro Nashville Police after 4AM that morning. The arrest report alleges that he tried to ram a car Evans was riding in with his car. The country star was was being driven home from a neighborhood party across the street, and as her car turned into her driveway, Barker began reversing his vehicle at a high rate of speed. His car missed the car Evans was riding in and fled, later returning to talk to police. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Barker's court date is March 22. On Sunday night, he took to Instagram to thank his supporters and to ask to privacy.
"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," he wrote.