Carly Pearce has been a force within country music over the last few years. She loves getting to play for country fans, who appreciate seeing her live concerts — well, mostly.

During a performance at WE Fest 2024 in August, a heckler caused a blip in Pearce’s performance when he continued yelling things while she was singing. She wasn’t having it and called for security.

“Somebody get him out of here. I do not want him at my show. Get out of my show,” Pearce said into the mic at the August 2 show. Her next line was directed right at the man in question, and she didn’t hold back.

“If you’re gonna be an a–hole, then you’re gonna have to say it to me and get the f–k out of my show,” she told him.

That moment made headlines, and not everyone was pleased with Pearce’s language, including her mama.

“Of course people were like, ‘you could have used a different word, or you could have acted a little more reserved,'” Pearce says of the pushback she got (quote via Fox), adding, “and I mean, my mom agreed.”

In fact, mama gave her 34-year-old daughter a bit of a schooling. Pearce says, “She was like, ‘You didn’t have to say that word,’ and I was like, ‘I understand.'”

The Grammy-winning singer says she’s usually able to temper her reactions to things, but this time she just couldn’t.

“At the end of the day, we’re artists and we’re putting our hearts and souls out there everyday, and there have been so many different things that I have not spoken about,” she explains.

“I think as a female in country music, I’ve talked to a few other females in the industry, and it’s like, the boys do it and it’s cool, but if I do it, it’s like, ‘oh, she’s being disrespectful.'”

Sorry, mama — she’s likely to do it again.

Pearce is nominated for Female Artist of 2024 at the upcoming People’s Choice Country Awards on Thursday (Sept. 26), as well as Female Song.