The Real Housewives of Orange County star Jennifer Pedranti is speaking out after some fans took issue with her and fiancé Ryan Boyajian bringing their sons to Jason Aldean’s Las Vegas bar for a joint 21st birthday celebration.
Aldean, 47, and his wife, Brittany, have garnered criticism for stating that they don’t believe transgender youth should have access to gender-affirming care, but Pedranti, also 47, urged her followers not to make assumptions about her political views simply because she visited Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Bar.
“Apparently we have a lot of you in an uproar about us taking the boys to Jason Aldean’s bar last night. First I wanna say, just calm down and relax,” Pedranti said in a Sunday, December 29, Instagram video. “You don’t know anything about our political views or how we feel about the gay community, because we have love for all. So, to come on our social media and make all these judgements is comical to say the least.”
Pedranti shared photos and videos from the celebrations at the country singer’s establishment earlier on Sunday.
“Happy 21st birthday To Our Boys,” she captioned a post dedicated to her son Harrison, whom she shares with ex-husband Will Pedranti, and Boyajian’s son Cole. The Bravolebrity defended her and Boyajian’s choice of venue in her video statement.
“We had the best time, we were line dancing with the boys. Their 21st birthday has been magical for them. I grew up in Oklahoma, so country music feeds my soul,” she said. “I would just say: relax, calm down and do better. It’s just a country bar. It’s just Ryan and I with our boys and having fun. We have love for all. We don’t roll like that. Happy Sunday. Do better.”
Jennifer further praised the bar in a separate post.
“@Jasonaldeans is our kind of bar! The food was so yummy, the bands were amazing! We had the BEST time with our boys! If you’re in Vegas and love country!!! GO!!! 🤠,” she captioned a photo of herself and Boyajian.
The upload sparked backlash from fans who were disappointed to see Jennifer supporting Aldean.
“Yikes never pegged you for hateful but here we are,” one Instagram user commented.
Another follower chimed in, “Noooo queen! He and his wife are bad and not in the good way!”
Others defended Jennifer.
“Is it possible to have different political views these days and still be cordial?! Or is that gone?!” one person wrote.
Aldean and his wife stirred up controversy in 2022 when Brittany, 36, made comments that some people interpreted as anti-trans.
“I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase,” she wrote via Instagram at the time.
The post ignited a public feud with Marren Morris, who reacted via X.
“It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie,” Morris, 34, wrote, referring to the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol.
Aldean stuck up for Brittany at the time, calling her “MY Barbie” in an Instagram comment, and has since echoed her beliefs about transgender youth.
“[You can’t] drink a beer until you’re 21, but you can change your … it’s just weird to me,” he said during a September appearance on The Tucker Carlson Show. “I think if somebody wants to do that and they’re old enough to make that decision, hey, it doesn’t affect my life, whatever. But you can’t try to make that normal to everybody.”
Morris isn’t the only celebrity who spoke out against Brittany in August 2022.
“Bravo @MarenMorris. It’s when you selflessly bear another’s burden that you actually reflect gods love. Way to not tolerate disgusting behavior”, Brandi Carlile, who is openly gay, wrote via X at the time.
Jonathan Van Ness, who is nonbinary, also thanked Morris via social media.
“Love to see [allies],” the Queer Eye star wrote.
