Outrage continues over Morgan Wallen’s abrupt, controversial exit from the “Saturday Night Live” stage as show “insiders” say the country singer exhibited even more “completely disrespectful” behavior behind the scenes.
Wallen was the show’s musical guest this past weekend, playing his recent hits “I’m the Problem” and “Just in Case,” according to the Daily Mail. But his appearance suddenly ended while he appeared onstage with host Mikey Madison at the end of the show while she said good-night to TV viewers.
Wallen could be seen hugging the “Anora” star and whispering something into her ear. He then walked off, in a break with what’s become a show tradition that musical guests stay on the stage with the host, cast and crew as the credits roll.
Musical guests then join the group at an afterparty, but Wallen skipped that tradition as well, heading instead to a nearby airport where he made another head-scratching move, the Daily Mail and other outlets reported. He posted a photo of his private jet on Instagram, with the caption, “Get me to God’s Country.”
Both the walk-off, which went viral, and Wallen’s “God’s Country” post have sparked speculation on social media that he didn’t have a good experience on “SNL” or that he was dissing the liberal politics that seem to be embraced by its cast.
Sources in Wallen’s camp told Variety that the singer had a good time on “SNL” and that no slight was intended with either his prompt exit or his Instagram post.
But Kenan Thompson was among “SNL” staffers who were taken aback by Wallen’s actions, labeling the Grammy winner “a complicated individual.”
“It’s definitely a spike in the norm,” Thompson told Entertainment Tonight. “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?’”
Thompson also didn’t know what to make of Wallen’s “God’s country” post. “You trying to say that we are not in God’s country? We’re not all in God’s country?” Thompson said. “That’s not necessarily my favorite. But whatever.”
Thompson’s words were mild compared to those of some anonymous “insiders” at the show.
An “SNL” staffer said Wallen was “completely disrespectful” during rehearsals.
“He was unprofessional the entire time and came in with a chip on his shoulder,” the staffer told the Daily Mail. “He thought that he was this massive star that deserved to be treated as if they were lucky to have him and when he wasn’t getting that he threw a tantrum.”
The staffer also said that people were angry with the way Wallen walked off the stage at the end of the show, even though he also did that during the dress rehearsal before the live show, TMZ reported.
Variety reported that Wallen also refused to appear in a skit about waiting in long lines in New York City, forcing them to recruit singer Joe Jonas to replace him.
For some “SNL” cast members, the proverbial last straw was his choice to rush to the airport and to declare that he was leaving a place he didn’t consider to be “God’s country.”
“His post right after was a total slap in the face for the folks who work so hard on the show,” the Daily Mail source said.
Wallen already had a somewhat complicated history with “SNL.” He was first scheduled to perform on the show in October 2020 but was not allowed to because he violated COVID-19 protocols. Videos on social media had shown him drinking shots, kissing fans and mingling in groups after a college football game while not wearing a mask or following other social-distancing guidelines.
Wallen issued an apology at the time, saying “my actions this past weekend were pretty shortsighted and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams.” He was forgiven and invited back on “SNL” two months later.