Bloody Victim: Rich Bashed L.A., Then My Face

The guy who took a beer bottle to the face from the lead singer of Big and Rich Friday morning says the whole thing started because -- surprise surprise -- Rich was stinking drunk.

TMZ spoke with Jerry Montano, who says he was boozin' with John Rich at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood late Thursday night -- when suddenly John became an angry drunk, and started randomly yelling, "F**k L.A.! How do you guys live here?!" Montano says John was still bitter from a fight he was in at an L.A. bar the night before.

Jerry says John wanted to leave the bar, and invited the group back to the rockstar's hotel room at the Mondrian. While in the room, Montano says Rich became an angry drunk and started to get violent -- throwing things around.

As Montano tried to leave the room around 4:00AM, he says he turned into a glass object Rich was swinging around the room. His nose basically exploded on impact. Paramedics and police were called to the scene.

Here's the kicker: Jerry says he refuses to press charges, chalking the whole thing up to a night where they both had a little too much to drink. And for the record, Jerry still says he's a fan.



Tags: Big and Rich, BigAndRich, jerry montano, JerryMontano, john rich, JohnRich

Reader Comments

(Page 1 of 1)

1. .
.
.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081018/ap_on_re_us/farrakhan_mosque;_ylt=Aqt0fVW31LOyceuDXKHVbxsDW7oF
.
.
.
we're all screwed.
.
.
.

Posted at 7:14AM on Oct 18th 2008 by osama_obama

2. Who are they trying to kid, it wasn't a bottle, it was Rich 's lower abdomen

Posted at 9:43AM on Oct 18th 2008 by traew

3. Why is everyone plugging some internet scam website here? And who are those drunken losers anyway?

Posted at 9:58AM on Oct 18th 2008 by tkennedy

4. Country folks love to rassle and rearrange the landscape. My kinda people.

Posted at 11:18AM on Oct 18th 2008 by Luke Warmwater

5. Well I think it's really big of Jerry not to press charges. Hell, I'm only 24, but I've seen many people, especially girls, get very angry and do things they normally wouldn't when they were drunk. I'm sure Jerry just understands that and it shows was a good friend he is. I like John Rich..he's a nice guy (I live in Tn and yes, I've met him) and he wouldn't hurt a fly- Sober. Maybe this will teach him that when he's at his limit, to STOP. :/

Posted at 1:25PM on Oct 18th 2008 by me

6. I want to hear JR's side of the story on this one. Yeah, he may like to drink, but this sounds so totally one sided here. I have to defend JR until I hear his version of what happened.

Posted at 8:19PM on Oct 18th 2008 by John_Rich_Gir86

7. I used to love John Rich but as of late JR seems to have let success go to his cowboy hat... You can tell that he is just out of hand. Yes he is hot but he seems like a huge ass head

Posted at 10:56PM on Oct 18th 2008 by RockChick

8. JOHN RICH IS A STUCK UP SNOB ASS, AND IM SURE HE PROBABLY PUT DOWN LA, HE THINKS HE IS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE.

Posted at 11:27AM on Oct 20th 2008 by kami

9. As one poster already wrote: obviously the fame has gone to Rich's head, along with the alcohol and probably other substances.............
VERY obviously this guy John Rich is an active alcoholic/addict and needs to go into treatment and start working a 12-Step Program and stop using substances---he cannot handle using.
It's very sad how people in the celebrity circus have such a hard time NOT giving in to the ego and self-seeking that accompanies celebrity--they start actually believing their own press and thinking they are better than everybody.
For a very good read on this entire celebrity/substance-abuse issue, see the book "Symptoms of Withdrawal" by Christopher Kennedy Lawford.
John Rich: you should be a REAL MAN and address your PROBLEM: you cannot drink because you are an alcoholic. If you have problems that wouldn't be there if the alcohol was not in the "picture"--then you are an alcoholic.
Go to AA and get treatment for your disease!


Posted at 11:44AM on Oct 20th 2008 by tristanwitch

10. First of all.. most of you only know what you hear from the media about any celebrity.. I've never met him, but I think JR is a good guy.. Everyone has a night that they drink too much and get a little out of control, so what. His friend knew that.. and didn't press charges.. and I'll take bets that JR is paying to have him fixed up. So don't judge by what you don't know.

DML

Posted at 12:27PM on Oct 27th 2008 by DML