Nashville Songwriter Matt McGinn Arrested for Kidnapping, Attempted Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon After Alleged Fight with Girlfriend

Matt McGinn made a name for himself in Nashville as a hit songwriter. He has written or co-written songs for artists like Blake Shelton, Kane Brown, Dustin Lynch, and more. After an alleged assault on his girlfriend last week, he could now face up to 30 years in prison.

According to Nashville Scoop, McGinn lied to Carly Strickland, his girlfriend of two years, about staying in a hotel while she was out of town. She wanted to confront him about those lies. As a result, she called him to his Nashville home where she was waiting to have it out with him.

McGinn arrived and blocked her in the driveway with his car. After the planned discussion, Strickland decided to leave the residence. However, she says the songwriter refused to let her leave. He wasn’t finished with their discussion. At this point, he allegedly began calling her names and became aggressive.

McGinn began throwing Strickland’s belongings down the stairs before pushing her around, according to the order of protection she filed against him. He then began threatening Strickland’s dog. He said things like, “I will strangle this motherfucker” and “I will kill this bitch to hurt you,” according to the document.

After punching the wall and objects near Strickland, McGinn removed his shirt and wrapped it around her. At this point, he informed her that she could leave when he was done with her. Eventually, she was able to flee to her car and dial 911. This, she said, prompted him to let her leave the residence. However, it did not stop him from behaving aggressively. “He acted like he was going to hit my car with his as I drove past him,” Strickland wrote in the document.

Strickland characterized McGinn as “an unpredictable individual who gets escalated without warning,” in the document. She further stated that this is not the first time he’s been violent with her. The order of protection notes that she filed a previous police report against him in February.

Nashville police booked McGinn into the Metro Nashville Jail on October 28. He’s currently out on bond. Court records show that the songwriter stands charged with violation of a protective order, kidnapping, and attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

McGinn will appear in front of Judge Marcus Floyd on November 7.

The order of protection violation is a Class A misdemeanor. It is punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in county jail and a fine between $100 and $2,500. The other charges are both Class C felonies. Each is punishable by 3-15 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 per charge.

McGinn penned Brown’s No. 1 hits “Bury Me in Georgia,” “Like I Love Country Music,” “Heaven,” and “Homesick,” Tim McGraw’s chart-topper “7500 OBO,” and Lynch’s “Party Mode.”

(Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images for SESAC)