Country singer Mindy McCready jailed after fight with mother

**Elvira** · July 22nd, 2007, 09:07 PM

By John Osborne, Daily News Correspondent

Originally published — 3:52 p.m., July 22, 2007
Updated — 9:42 p.m., July 22, 2007

Ten thousand angels may not be enough for country music superstar and North Fort Myers native Mindy McCready.

The embattled crooner best known for her chart-topping singles "If I Don't Stay the Night" and "The Other Side of this Kiss" was arrested Saturday morning by the Lee County Sheriff's Office on misdemeanor battery and obstruction charges.

After a night of drinking, McCready got into a fight with her mother, according Sgt. Larry King of the Lee County Sheriff's Office. A female deputy had to take McCready to the ground to arrest her, King confirmed. In her jail booking mug shot. McCready has an obvious bloodied cut on her nose.

The incident Saturday was just the latest in a long line of altercations McCready has had with law enforcement officers over the past several years.

In August 2004, she was arrested in Tennessee on charges of using a fake prescription to buy OxyContin. She plead guilty to those charges in November of the same year and was sentenced to three years' probation, ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and fined $4,000.

In May 2005, she was charged with a DUI and with driving on a suspended license. She was subsequently released on $3,500 bail.

Just two days after that, McCready alleged that her ex-boyfriend Billy McKnight broke into her house and beat and choked her. McKnight was charged with attempted murder and aggravated burglary.

In July 2005, McCready was hit with a laundry list of charges in Arizona, including identity theft, unlawful imprisonment and hindering prosecution when police say that she and an accomplice stole a truck and kidnapped a woman.

The next week, McCready was hospitalized after being found unconscious in a hotel lobby in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, following an unsuccessful suicide attempt using alcohol and a large amount of undisclosed drugs.

In August 2005, McCready violated her probation in Tennessee, and was apprehended in Florida later the same month and returned to Tennessee.

In September 2005, she was appealing the terms of her bail when she told the court that the Florida suicide attempt came after learning she was pregnant with McKnight's baby. Four days after that court appearance, McCready overdosed on antidepressants and was hospitalized again.

In July 2006, McCready was found not guilty of driving under the influence, but guilty of driving on a suspended license.

McCready will be back in court in September to face sentencing on her probation violation.

Despite her recent legal problems, McCready has led an extraordinary life.

She graduated from high school with honors in 1992 at the age of 16, moved to Nashville at 18 and was quickly signed to a label of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. In 2000, she was signed to Capitol Records, but dropped two years later due to poor sales. McCready was also once engaged to "Superman" actor Dean Cain.

In 2005, she went on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss her struggles with depression and her tumultuous relationship with McKnight.

McCready has one child, Zander Ryan McCready, who was born on March 25, 2006.

Source

I watched her on Larry King Live a couple of years ago and it sounded like she was going to turn her life around.

**drama_queen** · July 22nd, 2007, 09:26 PM

She looks like hell I used to think she was so pretty.

**RevellingInSane** · July 23rd, 2007, 12:18 AM

She looks pathetic here. If they keep slapping her on the wrist, she will never learn. Lock her up and give her a tough lesson in life.

**Classic Broad** · July 23rd, 2007, 04:54 AM

What, she deserves to be locked up because she had a fight with her mother??? Geeze, good thing that's not done everywhere....she needs some help IMO.

**buttmunch** · July 23rd, 2007, 05:21 AM

Sounds like a barrell of issues with this one. I suppose if we're going to lock banned up for driving without a lisence it would make sense to lock this woman for beating up her mom, among other offenses.

**TheMoog** · July 23rd, 2007, 05:22 AM

Another trainwreck....

**buttmunch** · July 23rd, 2007, 05:26 AM

Yup, yet not attracting the same amount of vitriol as usual.

**potato_chips** · July 23rd, 2007, 06:53 AM

Wow! She looks like she got hit with the ugly stick, then 5 minutes later, the ugly stick came back and hit her a couple more times. She needs help!

**Bellatheball** · July 23rd, 2007, 07:38 AM

What in the hell happened to her? She was so talented and was engaged to Dean Cain (not that he's a huge prize but still...). How in the hell did she fall to this?

**Lily** · July 23rd, 2007, 08:01 AM

While she seems to be another hot mess, I think it's hilarious that if a daughter gets into a fight with her mother, the daughter is the one who is vilified if it turns physical. There are some horrific mothers out there. I had one myself. I would bet my last dollar that McCready's mother wasn't just sitting in a chair knitting and being sweet and McCready beat the crap out of her. Please.

**Sweetie** · July 23rd, 2007, 08:47 AM

I can't believe she is only 31, she looks at least 50.

**shedevilang** · July 23rd, 2007, 08:55 AM

God what a waste of talent she had some decent music. I really feel for her kid

**Laurent** · July 23rd, 2007, 08:59 AM

In September 2005, she was appealing the terms of her bail when she told the court that the Florida suicide attempt came after learning she was pregnant with McKnight's baby. Four days after that court appearance, McCready overdosed on antidepressants and was hospitalized again.

McCready has one child, Zander Ryan McCready, who was born on March 25, 2006.

So, I guess she overdosed twice while she was pregnant with her son.

Nice.

If the child doesn't have serious cognative problems, it'll surely give him the warm fuzzies one day to know that his mother tried to kill herself twice after learning about him.

**sweetness** · July 23rd, 2007, 09:16 AM

^^ That poor little boy!

Wonder if she has legal custody of him?

**RevellingInSane** · July 23rd, 2007, 09:54 AM

She faced years on felony charges for forgery and such, while she was awaiting sentencing on other crimes. She shouldn't have that child in her custody and even though she may need help, she was lucid enough to run a prescription scheme.