Willie Nelson docuseries: 6 bombshell revelations including affairs and IRS battles in Paramount+ show

6 bombshell revelations from Paramount+ docuseries 'Willie Nelson and Family'

In the brand-new, four-episode Paramount+ documentary series titled 'Willie Nelson and Family', the legendary American musician reflected on the spectacular highs and depressing lows of his extraordinary life, having recently celebrated his 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl. The show delves into the legend surrounding the Texas native who rose to become a Grammy-winning American icon and features several interviews with musicians, family members, bandmates, and experts on Nelson, as per Daily Mail. Nelson remarked at the end of the series, "It's hard to believe it was 60 years ago I wrote a song 'Funny How Time Slips Away.'" Here are a few of the most shocking discoveries from the latest documentary about the young Texas man from a small town who rose to fame in the music industry.

Willie Nelson's fork fight with his first wife

In 1952, Willie Nelson met his first wife Martha Jewel Matthews while working at a burger joint. Though she was 16 and Nelson was 19, the pair got married soon. Nelson said in the show, "She was a dark-haired beauty, a full-blooded Cherokee," as per PEOPLE. "Her eyes set my soul on fire, and her name was Martha Jewel," he added. Nelson further remarked about their romantic relationship, "We had a lot of fun together but we fought, and we both were drinking a lot in those days. One morning we got into this argument, and she picked up this fork and threw it across the table and it stuck in my side. It sounded like a tuning fork." Martha died of liver failure in 1989, as per a voiceover in the documentary.

Willie Nelson attempted suicide multiple times

While residing in Nashville with Martha and his three children, Lana, Susie, and Billy, in the 1960s, Willie Nelson said he got into heavy drinking. As Nelson performed music for meager pay, the family experienced financial hardship, and Martha swore to accept "no more crap." Nelson recalls his relationship with Martha as "she and I were fighting worse than ever, and I started drinking more than ever." The country music icon added, "Back in my drinking days, I tried to commit suicide a couple of times. One time in the dead of winter I was so down on myself, I laid down in the middle of the street hoping a car would run over me. No such luck. I had to get up off my a** and kept on trying to figure out how to make a living."

Willie Nelson declined to file bankruptcy while owing IRS $32M

Willie Nelson found he owed the IRS US$32 million ($51 million) in unpaid income taxes in 1990. The government had closed his studio and taken all of his belongings. Nelson's nephew Freddy Fletcher said, "He was devastated. I’d never seen him so down." The celebrity claimed that although he was told to file for bankruptcy, he declined since he didn't want to defraud anyone. "I never intended and never will do a bankruptcy where the people I owe get screwed out of their money," he declared. Business manager Mark Rothbaum claimed that after Nelson sought the assistance of an accountant, who told him that $200,000 would take care of his tax issue, Nelson replied, "Okay."

Son Billy's death profoundly affected Willie Nelson's family

In 1991, Nelson lost his son Billy to suicide, who was 33 at the time of death. Billy's sister Lana Nelson revealed that her brother experienced mental health issues like depression, adding, "He didn’t want to be depressed, he didn’t want to be that guy. He tried really hard, he did." Billy believed "that his father had been exploited too often by too many people. Life was hard for him," according to Rothbaum. Nelson's daughter Paula said of Billy, "When Billy passed, it was terribly hard on [Willie]— on all of us. It was really hard for him because that was his first son."

Willie Nelson's second wife discovered his affair with his mistress

In 1963, Willie Nelson married 'Willingly' singer Shirley Collie following his divorce from Martha. Nelson was still married to his second wife Collie when a hospital bill related to Paula Nelson's birth by Connie Nelson in October 1969 arrived at their Tennessee home. Nelson explained, "Shirley wanted to know who in the hell was Connie Nelson. The truth is Connie [Koepke] had been my girlfriend for several years before becoming pregnant." Daughter Lana said, "[Shirley] had no idea there was a Connie. She had no idea there was a baby until she got the hospital bill. That’s how she found out about Connie. That’s how I found out about Connie."

Willie Nelson once engaged in 'shootout' with daughter Lana's ex-husband

During the family's time in Ridgetop, daughter Lana claims that she "was married to a guy who had some anger management issues, and he took it out on me." Willie Nelson said in the series, "It really pissed me off when he beat her up, so I went over there and slapped him around a little bit. I told him not to ever do that again. Then he comes back, taking shots at the house." Nelson and his late bandmate Paul English retaliated by firing back at Lana's ex-husband's vehicle using their own firearms. Lana's ex-husband managed to escape even after they shot up his vehicle. Lana describes what happened as "a series of near misses."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).