Morgan Wallen couldn’t wait to get back “to God’s country” following his stint on Saturday Night Live in New York City this weekend.
The country singer, who was the musical guest alongside host Mikey Madison for the latest episode on Saturday, March 29, abruptly walked off the stage and past cameras before the end credits fully rolled.
“Thanks to Morgan Wallen, I had a wonderful time! Thank you all,” Madison, 26, told the crowd at the end of the show as Wallen, 31, stood next to her. He then saluted and whispered something in Madison’s ear before exiting the stage.
Customarily, guests hug and chat on the Studio 8H platform following an episode’s end.
He subsequently took to Instagram and posted a photo of his private jet to his Stories, writing, “Get me to God’s country.”
“Weird – Morgan Wallen didn’t turn around to say anything to anyone – he looked like he was ready to be out of there,” one person commented on SNL’s X post of Madison’s bow. Another added, “If you go back and watch the clips of Mikey with Morgan and Chloe [Fineman] from midweek (the hi I’m Mikey Madison and I’m hosting SNL this week with Morgan Wallen clips) you’ll see he didn’t want to shoot those either, and probably only did SNL cause his manager and agent made him.”
“Like, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE THERE LET SOMEONE WHO WOULD DIE TO PERFORM ON SNL TAKE YOUR SPOT, YOU D***,” added a commenter.
Others came to his defense, with one supporter writing, “He must have had something else to do, the show was already over what more do u want from him? To exchange pleasantries with everyone seated in the audience? Give him a break.”
“@MorganWallen staying true to himself,” another added. “Loved the backdrop as much as I loved the exit!”
During the show, Wallen performed “I’m the Problem” and “Just in Case” from his upcoming album, set to be released on May 16.
His appearance on the late-night comedy sketch series came five years after his controversial debut on SNL in December 2020. Wallen was initially scheduled to perform two months prior, but was pulled from the lineup after he was spotted partying in Alabama without a mask and kissing random women amid COVID-19 protocols.
At the time, he posted a statement commending SNL for their decision.
“I’m not positive for Covid but my actions this past weekend were pretty shortsighted and they have obviously affected my long term goals and my dreams,” Wallen said. “I respect the show’s decision, because I know that I put them in jeopardy and I take ownership for this.”
During his inaugural SNL appearance, Wallen performed “7 Summers” and “Still Goin’ Down.” He also appeared in a sketch poking fun at himself and his controversial behavior, in which he got warnings from future versions of himself played by the likes of Jason Bateman and Bowen Yang.
Months later, Wallen was suspended by his record label after a video surfaced of him saying the N-word. He issued a public apology for using the racial slur, but was subsequently removed from Apple Music and Spotify playlists, barred from major country radio stations and erased from major CMT platforms.
After experiencing a comeback of sorts, Wallen canceled a few concerts in 2023 before he was arrested in Nashville and charged with three counts of reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct after allegedly throwing a chair from the rooftop of Eric Church’s Chief’s bar. The Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed to Us Weekly at the time that officers were standing outside of the venue when the chair fell from above them and landed on the ground nearby.
The Grammy nominee addressed the incident via X days later. “I didn’t feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks,” he wrote in April 2024. “I’ve touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief’s. I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility. I have the utmost respect for the officers working every day to keep us all safe.”
In December 2024, Wallen was sentenced to one week in a DUI education center plus probation eight months after he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment without a weapon. An initial felony charge of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct were dismissed.
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