SNL viewers were taken aback when Morgan Wallen abruptly left the stage during the closing credits, prompting staff members to express their views on what they described as the musician’s ‘completely disrespectful’ behavior.
For many performers, appearing on Saturday Night Live is considered a significant achievement, so Wallen’s actions were unexpected.
As the musical guest, Wallen had the opportunity to showcase his music on SNL’s renowned stage, performing songs like ‘I’m The Problem’ and ‘Just In Case’.
However, instead of focusing on his musical performance, attention shifted to the events preceding the ‘Cowgirls’ singer’s departure, as people tried to decipher his lip movements to understand why he left.
As the credits began to roll, he was seen on camera exiting the stage abruptly, leaving the cast in a state of shock and confusion.
He proceeded to walk past the cameras, through the audience, and left guest host Mikey Madison, an Oscar-winning actress, onstage alone.
Madison had to commend the cast by herself, defying the usual expectation for celebrity guests to remain onstage to thank and mingle until the credits conclude.
According to insiders, Wallen had a ‘tantrum’ backstage, suggesting that his stage departure was only a small part of his alleged misconduct.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, an SNL staff member described Wallen’s behavior as ‘completely disrespectful’, claiming he was ‘unprofessional throughout’, with a ‘chip on his shoulder’.
The anonymous source indicated that Wallen seemed to believe his own hype, thinking of himself as a ‘massive star’ who warranted special treatment.
The staffer also claimed Wallen ‘threw a tantrum’ upon realizing he wasn’t receiving the adoration he expected.
There are also allegations that Wallen’s behavior has led to him being ‘blackballed from ever appearing on SNL again’.
Wallen missed the well-known SNL afterparty, instead posting on his Instagram story a picture of his private jet with the caption: “Get me to God’s Country.”
“His post right after was a total slap in the face for the folks who work so hard on the show,” remarked the source.
Longtime SNL cast member Kenan Thompson responded, “The ‘God’s country’ of it all is strange because it’s like, what are you trying to say? You trying to say that we are not in God’s country? We’re not all in God’s country? We’re not all under God’s umbrella? That’s not necessarily my favorite.”
“I don’t know what goes through people’s minds when they decide to do stuff like that,” Thompson continued. “I don’t know if he understood the assignment or not, or if he was really feeling a certain kind of way.”
This incident is not Wallen’s first controversy with SNL.
His initial appearance was canceled in October 2020 during the Covid pandemic after videos showed him partying and disregarding social distancing guidelines.
He issued an apology, stating, “my actions this past weekend were pretty shortsighted and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams.”
Following his apology, he was invited back to the show two months later.