Morgan Wallen needs a break from stardom, he admits in a video posted to social media on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 7). The singer says he’s going to be stepping away from the spotlight for a bit to “work on me.”
“I think I have some growing up to do,” Wallen reflects. “You know, I think I’ve lost myself a little bit. I’ve tried to find joy in the wrong places, and, I don’t know, it’s left me with less joy. So I’m going to go try to work on that. I’m gonna take a step back from the spotlight for a little while and go work on myself.”
Wallen issued his personal message to his fans after he made headlines for partying after a weekend football game in Alabama, not wearing a mask despite the novel coronavirus pandemic. The “Whiskey Glasses” singer is shown in various TikTok videos from the night of Oct. 3 hanging out with groups of college-aged people at bars and houses, and kissing multiple women.
The rising country star was booked as Saturday night’s (Oct. 10) musical guest on Saturday Night Live, but has been pulled from the show due to the late-night sketch comedy series’ COVID-19 protocols. In his video message, Wallen shares that SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels told him they would find another time to have him perform on the show, but no timeline has been set.
“My actions this past weekend were pretty short-sighted, and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams,” Wallen says in his two-and-a-half-minute Instagram video. “I respect the show’s decision, because I know that I put them in jeopardy, and I take ownership for this. I’d like to apologize to SNL, to my fans, to my team for bringing me these opportunities, and I Iet them down.”
Wallen ends his message by thanking his fans for their words of encouragement, despite the flack he’s getting from a wider audience.
“It may be a second before you hear from me for a while, but, uh, I’m gonna go work on me, and I appreciate y’all respecting that, and I’ll talk to you soon,” he concludes. “I love you.”
Wallen was arrested on Nashville’s iconic Lower Broadway strip in May, after an incident at Kid Rock‘s bar. He was released on bond shortly after his arrest, and a judge declined to prosecute Wallen on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct in July.
After his arrest, Wallen poked fun at his mugshot on social media and apologized for what happened at the end of a night full of memories he admitted were “pretty fuzzy.”
Wallen also became a father in July, welcoming a son, Indigo Wilder, with his ex-fiancee.
