Morgan Wallen Abruptly Walked Off Saturday Night Live Stage
Live from New York...it's a sudden exit.
After serving as the musical guest for the March 29, 2025 episode of Saturday Night Live, Morgan Wallen took the stage to close out the show with host Mikey Madison.
But after the Anora star said goodbye to viewers, the country music star gave her a quick hug and then walked off—breaking tradition of hanging out with the cast as the credits roll.
Wallen later posted a photo of an airplane sitting on the runway to his Instagram Stories and wrote, "Get me to God's country."
Morgan Wallen Pleaded Guilty in Chair-Throwing Case
Wallen was arrested in April 2024 for allegedly throwing a chair from the rooftop of the bar Chief's in Nashville, police shared at the time. A little more than a week later, the Grammy nominee publicly addressed the incident.
“I didn't feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks,” he wrote on X April 19, 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.”
In December 2024, Wallen pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment for the alleged chair-throwing incident. He was sentenced to two years of probation as well as seven days incarceration at a DUI education center.
Morgan Wallen Used a Racial Slur
Following a leaked video of Wallen uttering a racial slur in February 2021, the singer apologized to fans.
"I'm embarrassed and sorry," he said in a statement to E! News. "I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better."
Many country music artists slammed Wallen, radio stations dropped him, his then-record label suspended his contract indefinitely and he was banned from several award shows that year.
"My words matter," he said in an Instagram video later that month. “A word can truly hurt a person, and at my core, it's not what I'm OK with. This week I heard firsthand some personal stories from Black people that honestly shook me. And I know what I'm going through this week doesn't even compare to some of the trials I heard about from them. I came away from those discussions with a deep appreciation for them and a clearer understanding of the weight of my words."
Morgan Wallen Broke SNL's COVID-19 Protocols
Wallen was scheduled to be the musical guest on SNL in October 2020, but after photos and videos of the musician partying in Alabama surfaced online, he was kicked off the show for not following its COVID-19 guidelines.
"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," Wallen said in a video shared to social media at the time. "I'm not positive for COVID, but my actions this past weekend were pretty short-sighted and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams."
The "Last Night" performer took ownership for his actions.
"On a more personal note, I think I have some growing up to do," he continued. "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 gonna 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."
While Jack White stepped in as the musical guest, Wallen got another chance to perform on SNL that December. He even poked fun at the incident in one of the sketches.
Morgan Wallen Was Arrested for Alleged Disorderly Conduct
The Voice alum was arrested on public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges in May 2020 after he allegedly got kicked out of Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse. According to an arrest warrant obtained by The Tennessean, Wallen had been "kicking glass items" and then got into verbal arguments with pedestrians on the street.
"Hey y'all just wanted to clear the air," he wrote on X at the time. "I went out downtown last night with a few old friends. After a couple bar stops, we were horse-playing with each other. We didn't mean any harm, and we want to say sorry to any bar staff or anyone that was affected."
The charges were dropped against Wallen that July, according to online court records from the Howard Gentry Criminal Court Clerk in Tennessee.
Morgan Wallen Was Arrested for Allegedly Driving Under the Influence
In 2016, Wallen was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in his home state of Tennessee, according to online court records. However, the records state his charge was dismissed later that year.