Morgan Wallen‘s early exit from Saturday Night Live isn’t the first time he and the NBC variety show have made headlines together.
In October 2020, the country singer was disinvited from the long-running series after video footage surfaced that showed him partying at the University of Alabama during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m in New York City, in a hotel room. I was getting ready for SNL this Saturday, and I got a call from the show letting me know that I will no longer be able to play,” Wallen shared in an Instagram video at the time. “And that’s because of COVID protocols, which I understand. I’m not positive for COVID, but my actions this past weekend were pretty short-sighted and that have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams.”
A couple months later, Wallen made his debut on the show — and poked fun at his first invitation being rescinded.
Morgan Wallen has become the bad boy of country music after facing a series of scandals throughout his career. The “Whiskey Glasses” singer got his start on season 6 of The Voice in 2014, where he was a member of Adam Levine’s team but got knocked out during the playoffs. Two years after his appearance […]
“I am you from the future and I came here to stop you from partying tonight,” Jason Bateman’s character told Wallen in the skit. “Trust me, somebody’s gonna post a video of you ignoring COVID protocols, the whole internet’s gonna freak out. … Once people hear about the party, you’re in big trouble, man. You’re gonna get kicked off Saturday Night Live.”
Keep scrolling to read more about Wallen’s history with SNL:
October 2020
After video footage of him partying during the COVID-19 pandemic went viral, Wallen was disinvited from SNL. Wallen then took to Instagram to let his fans know about the decision — and said he was sorry for his actions.
“I respect the show’s decision because I know that I put them in jeopardy,” he said in a video. “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 let ’em down.”
Wallen went on to say that producer Lorne Michaels gave him “a lot of encouragement” and told him he could appear on the show at another time.
Morgan Wallen’s quick exit from Saturday Night Live is already getting the meme treatment from one of the show’s writers. Wallen, 31, made headlines following his Saturday, March 29, appearance on the NBC sketch comedy show after abruptly walking off the stage during the ending credits. The country singer later took to Instagram and posted […]
“So that means a lot to me. Thank you for that,” the singer said. “And lastly, I know that I’m taking some heat — a lot of heat — but I just wanted to let you guys know that your messages of encouragement haven’t gone unnoticed, either. It may be a second before you hear from me for awhile but I’m [going to] go work on me, and I appreciate y’all respecting that. And I’ll talk to you soon. Love you.”
December 2020
After he was disinvited two months prior, Wallen made his SNL debut and did a skit with Bateman that mocked the controversy surrounding his initial invitation.
“I am you from the future and I came here to stop you from partying tonight,” Bateman’s character told Wallen in the skit. “Trust me, somebody’s gonna post a video of you ignoring COVID protocols, the whole internet’s gonna freak out. … Once people hear about the party, you’re in big trouble, man. You’re gonna get kicked off Saturday Night Live.”
Wallen responded by saying, “Lorne would never do that,” and Bateman replied, “Of course Lorne wouldn’t, he ain’t no p***. He’s the goddamn man, he’s got balls the size of Toyotas. But the execs at NBC, they’re gonna force his hand, bro.”
Wallen then agreed that he would leave the party, but Bateman convinced him to stay. Pete Davidson later appeared as a random party guest and said that Wallen would “do the right thing and accept responsibility” for what he did.
Noah Reid and Ashley McBryde seemingly threw shade at Morgan Wallen while they were presenting at the 2024 Academy of Country Music awards. The pair took the stage on Thursday, May 16, to present the award for Single of the Year. McBryde, 40, brought out a ukulele to pay homage to the nominees which included […]
“SNL’s gonna have you on two months later, I promise. There aren’t many people willing to fly to New York right now,” Davidson joked.
February 2021
Wallen became the subject of a Weekend Update joke after a video surfaced that showed him using a racial slur. In the segment, cohost Michael Che explained the story, noting that Wallen’s record label had suspended his contract.
“Hmm, wonder who he learned that from?” Che joked as a photo of his Update cohost, Colin Jost, embracing Wallen during his December 2020 SNL taping was shown on screen.
Later that month, Wallen apologized in a YouTube video for using the N-word.
“I let so many people down,” he told his followers. “I let my parents down, and they’re the furthest thing from … the person in that video. I let my son down, and I’m not OK with that.”
Morgan Wallen is being sued by a fan after he canceled a concert in Mississippi at the last minute. A class action lawsuit was filed by concertgoer Brandi Burcham on Tuesday, April 25, after Wallen, 29, pulled out of the performance two days prior. Burcham stated in court documents that the venue promised refunds, however, […]
March 2025
Wallen returned to SNL as the musical guest alongside host Mikey Madison — but caused some controversy after abruptly walking off the stage before the end credits finished rolling.
“Thanks to Morgan Wallen, I had a wonderful time! Thank you all,” Madison told the crowd as Wallen stood next to her. He then saluted and whispered something in her ear before exiting the stage.
After his exit, he posted an Instagram Story photo of his private jet, writing, “Get me to God’s country.”
April 2025
After making headlines for his abrupt exit, Variety reported that a part was written for Wallen in an SNL musical sketch that he allegedly declined. The country music star was offered the chance to sing the bridge for “Big Dumb Line,” which featured Madison, Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman. The part ultimately went to Joe Jonas.
Us reached out to Wallen and NBC for comment at the time.
