It’s been a difficult few days for Jason Aldean.
On Oct. 1, the country singer was performing at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on the audience, killing 58 fans.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Aldean was criticized by Internet trolls who branded him a coward for rushing off the stage when the gunshots rang out, as reported by Fox News and other media outlets.
WATCH: Jason Aldean returns to stage nearly two weeks after Las Vegas shooting
Now, the Nashville-born singer has a new detractor in the shape of Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). White didn’t take kindly to Aldean’s decision to perform on Saturday Night Live in New York City instead of the UFC 216 event in Las Vegas, where several survivors and first responders were invited into the cage in a pre-fight tribute on the same night.
“His image was more important than coming back to Vegas and playing for the people who are his fans and who got shot watching him play,” White told TMZ.
“F— you, Jason Aldean. Stay out of Vegas.”
White also complained that every country music act he approached turned him down, forcing him to turn to hip-hop artist Everlast.
READ MORE: Jason Aldean performs Tom Petty cover on SNL, calls for unity after Las Vegas shooting
Aldean did return to Las Vegas on Monday, and met with survivors of the massacre at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. In a Facebook post, the hospital expressed “extreme gratitude” to the singer, saying that his visit “helped heal hearts and cheer those who were wounded in this tragedy.”
Aldean’s wife Brittany shared an Instagram post of the couple looking at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino from a distance, and praised survivors for their strength and resilience.
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