Controversial pop-country artist Morgan Wallen is (gasp) generating controversy again — this time for abruptly walking off the Saturday Night Live stage without the requisite hugs and handshakes.
Typically, SNL closes with the host and musical guest mucking it up with the cast and crew as the credits roll. Wallen, who performed the singles “I’m the Problem” and “Just in Case” on the show earlier in the evening, made a faux pas by walking off the stage after some quick pleasantries with host Mikey Madison.
Many viewers found his departure rude and puzzling, and the controversy was inflamed after Wallen, whose new album I’m the Problem is out in May, posted a pointed Instagram Story in the hours after the show.
SNL cast member Kenan Thompson even spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the incident, saying, “I don’t know what goes through people’s minds when they decide to do stuff like that.
Read on to get the whole story about Morgan Wallen’s SNL controversy, which, to be clear, is totally separate from his previous SNL controversy, which we’ll also unpack below.
Morgan Wallen with Mikey Madison at the end of ‘Saturday Night Live’. Will Heath/NBC via Getty
As of this writing, it’s unclear why Wallen was in such a rush to leave the SNL stage, though an Instagram Story the singer shared that evening suggests he was eager to return to his Nashville home.
The post pictured the singer’s private jet with the caption, “Get me to God’s country,” which rankled some fans and SNL cast members.
Morgan Wallen’s Instagram Story. Morgan Wallen/Instagram
On Tuesday, Wallen shared an Instagram reel of him shooting guns and riding four-wheelers in the country against a snippet of an upcoming single, “Come Back As A Redneck.” The caption for the post reads, “Maybe then you’ll understand,” a lyric from the song. Some, however, have interpreted the caption to relate to his SNL walk-off, though Wallen hasn’t confirmed it.
Critics online and in Wallen’s Instagram comments are keen on turning this into some kind of culture war battle, though it seems as if Wallen was simply eager to leave New York City and get back to his home in the South. Hey, the Big Apple isn’t for everyone.
A source close to the situation told Entertainment Weekly that Wallen exited “the way he entered and exited the studio all week during rehearsal and camera blocking,” which is why he only said goodbye to Madison before leaving.
Morgan Wallen performing ‘I’m the Problem’ on ‘SNL’. Will Heath/NBC via Getty
Following Wallen’s walk-off, sources close to NBC told TMZ that there was “no bad blood” between Wallen and the show’s cast and crew, and that they’d be happy to have him back. They characterized the walk-off as simply an “awkward” moment.
However, Page Six reported that Wallen declined an appearance in a pre-taped sketch that poked fun at New York City trends. Joe Jonas reportedly took his spot.
Someone who does seem to have an issue with Wallen’s abrupt departure is longtime SNL cast member Kenan Thompson, who spoke with EW about the incident.
“I don’t know if he understood the assignment or not, or if he was really feeling a certain kind of way,” Thompson told EW. “You see somebody before you get a chance to say hi or say good job or anything like that, they just dipping. I thought maybe he had to go to the potty or something.”
“It’s definitely a spike in the norm,” Thompson continued. “We’re so used to everybody just turning around and high-fiving us, everybody’s saying, ‘Good job, good job, good job.’ So when there’s a departure from that, it’s like, hmm, I wonder what that’s about? … Seems like a complicated individual, I guess.”
Kenan Thompson on ‘Today’ on Monday, Dec. 4. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
Thompson noted how late artist Prince exited in a similar fashion on a previous episode. “I’m not saying Morgan Wallen is Prince, but we weren’t surprised because Prince was notoriously kind of standoffish,” he said. “It’s just how he was. So we just thought like, ‘Okay, now he’s gone back into fantasyland.’ But Saturday I guess it was just different because it just felt so abrupt. And it was already such a small grouping on the stage anyway. So it was just like, oh wow, that was pretty visible. You know what I’m saying? It was a pretty visible thing.”
Thompson also took issue with Wallen’s Instagram Story. “The ‘God’s country’ of it all is strange because it’s like, what are you trying to say?” he said. “You trying to say that we are not in God’s country? We’re not all in God’s country? We’re not all under God’s umbrella? That’s not necessarily my favorite.”
Thompson wasn’t the only SNL member to reference the walk-off. The morning after, SNL writer Josh Patten lampooned Wallen’s Instagram Story by posting “get me to God’s Country” over a photo of a Krispy Kreme doughnuts delivery truck.
Josh Patten’s Instagram Story. Josh Patten/Instagram
Morgan Wallen at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty
As of this writing, Wallen has yet to publicly comment on the incident. He is, however, referencing it through new merchandise.
Earlier this week, Wallen’s merch store began selling T-shirts and hats that say, “Get me to God’s country.” They cost $45.
Morgan Wallen. Sara Kauss/FilmMagic
Yes. In October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wallen was booted from an upcoming SNL musical guest spot after videos surfaced of him partying unmasked in a large crowd. This violated the show’s COVID-19 protocols.
Wallen apologized. “My actions this past weekend were pretty short-sighted, and they’ve obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams,” he said. “I respect the show’s decision because I know that I put them in jeopardy. I take ownership for this. I’d like to apologize to SNL, to my fans, to my team for bringing me these opportunities. I let them down.”
When Wallen returned to the series six months later, the singer poked fun at his cancellation in a sketch with host Jason Bateman and cast members Pete Davidson and Bowen Yang.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly‘s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
