Morgan Wallen was set to make his Saturday Night Live debut on October 10th as the long-running sketch show’s musical guest. That won’t be happening.
The 27-year-old Tennessee native says he was uninvited from performing on SNL after videos surfaced of him partying last weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in apparent disregard of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Wallen, known for hits like “Whiskey Glasses” and the new single “7 Summers,” posted a video on Instagram on Wednesday, filmed in his New York City hotel room, apologizing for his behavior.
“I was getting ready for SNL this Saturday and I got a call from the show letting me know that I would no longer be able to play. And that’s because of Covid protocols, which I understand,” he said. “I am not positive for Covid, but my actions this past weekend were pretty shortsighted and they’ve obviously affected my long term goals and my dreams.
“I respect the show’s decision because I know that I put them in jeopardy,” he continued. “I take ownership for this. I’d like to apologize to SNL, to my fans, to my team for bringing these opportunities, and I let them down.”
Wallen said that SNL creator Lorne Michaels told him his performance will be rescheduled. A rep for Saturday Night Live declined to comment. A replacement for Wallen has not yet been announced.
This isn’t the first time that Wallen has made headlines during the coronavirus crisis. In May, he was arrested in Nashville and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges after a night drinking at Kid Rock’s downtown honky-tonk. He was not prosecuted.
Wallen says he’s taking some time out of the public eye to “work on myself.” “I have some growing up to do. I think I’ve lost myself a little bit,” he said in the video. “It may be a second before you hear from me.”
A rep for Wallen declined further comment.