- Garth Brooks doubled down on his decision to serve Bud Light at his upcoming Nashville bar.
- He encouraged patrons of the new bar to "come in with tolerance" and "an open mind."
Country singer Garth Brooks doubled down on his decision to serve Bud Light at his upcoming Nashville bar after facing backlash over the beer brand's recent collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
"Everybody's got their opinions. But inclusiveness is always going to be me," Brooks said in a Facebook Live video on Monday night. "I think diversity is the answer to the problems that are here and the answer to the problems that are coming. So, I love diversity. All inclusive, so all are welcome. I understand that might not be other people's opinions, but that's OK, man. They have their opinions. They have their beliefs. I have mine."
Brooks said it will be patrons of Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk who ultimately decide if Bud Light sells once it's in the bar and that it's his job as an owner to stock popular beverages.
"The truth is, it's those people in those seats that make those decisions. And that's what Friends in Low Places is going to be," Brooks said. "So here's the deal, man: If you want to come to Friends in Low Places, come in, but come in with love. Come in with tolerance, patience. Come in with an open mind, and it's cool."
Bud Light has faced a boycott this year after collaborating with Mulvaney, and sales dropped nearly 25% in May, according to a new report.
Brooks announced his bar, which is set to open in the South Broadway district of Nashville, would serve Bud Light in an interview with Billboard last week.
"Our thing is this: if you [are let] into this house, love one another," he told Billboard. "If you're an asshole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway."
Brooks' comments landed him in hot water with some conservative country music fans, who expressed their ire on social media. A #boycottgarthbrooks hashtag has more than 38,000 views.
Garth Brooks "doesn't seem to understand that 'woke' and 'honky tonk' don't go together," said one TikToker.
@jodi_girl Garth Brooke’s goes “ Woke “ #garthbrooks #friendinlowplacesgoeswoke #boycottgarthbrookesmusic #tiktokviews #fypシ ♬ Kiss My Country Ass - Blake Shelton
"He's making me want to go to Nashville just so I could go ahead and piss on his doorstep," said one TikToker.
@mistylue #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Mistylue
"Now I delete every Garth Brooks song from my collection. NEVER AGAIN GARTH!" tweeted Robert Cornicelli, a Republican who ran for New York's 2nd Congressional District last year and lost.
"It ain't hard to see who you're gonna vote for," said TikToker Brian Calihan who also called Brooks a "sissyboy."
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz also weighed in, alleging that Brooks cheated on his first wife, Sandy Mahl, with his current wife, Trisha Yearwood.
—Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 10, 2023
This isn't the first time Brooks has angered conservatives. He was also threatened with a boycott in 2021 when he performed at President Joe Biden's inauguration.