Morgan Wallen made his big return to Saturday Night Live about five years after his 2020 controversy.
But it wasn’t his entry that had people talking—it was his abrupt exit.
The singer, 31, appeared on the late-night comedy sketch series as the musical guest for the March 29 episode.
Image credits: Christopher Polk/Penske Media/Getty Images
Highlights
- Morgan Wallen made his return to SNL about five years after his 2020 controversy
- Viewers saw him abruptly walking off stage during the March 29 episode
- “Get me to God's country,” he wrote in a social media post shortly after the show
- His quick exit sparked a political debate online
He first performed I'm the Problem from his soon-to-be-released album of the same name and came back to the stage to sing Just in Case, another track from his upcoming LP.
Also appearing on the show was Mikey Madison, who made her debut as an SNL host just weeks after winning the Best Actress award at the 2025 Oscars.
When the show winded down, Morgan stood beside Mikey as she gave the audience her parting words.
Image credits: Saturday Night Live
Right after Mikey finished her piece, the traditional end-of-show segment played out, where cast members and stars casually mingle.
Morgan did not stay for the segment and walked off after whispering something into Mikey’s ear.
But the peculiarity of the situation did not end there. He later shared a picture of a private jet with the text, “Get me to God's country.”
Netizens went into overdrive, trying to decode why the country crooner abruptly walked off.
The country singer abruptly walked off, breaking tradition where the SNL cast and crew mingle onstage
Image credits: Saturday Night Live
Some assumed the place might be “too liberal for him,” suggesting his political leanings may have contributed to his quick exit.
“He had enough of the Woke!” one commenter said, while another wrote, “There were some minorities outside he needed to yell at.”
“Why did he even go on?” one asked. “Why is he in NYC? MAGA being terrified of cities is hilarious to me.”
“I live in Atlanta. You would think I live in an active warzone talking to my mom’s maga friends,” another said.
Image credits: Saturday Night Live
“None of the cast wants to be anywhere close to Wallen, it’s how they can silent protest when they don’t like a musical guest or host, but the message gets received,” another wrote.
“Yeah being a f***ing racist POS tends to thin the herd a bit,” one said.
“I'd want to leave where people thought of me as a backwards hillbilly, too,” another said.
On the other hand, fans defended him, with one saying, “He didn’t leave early why is everyone being so dramatic.”
“I imagine he met some people that weren’t maga cultists and couldn’t handle it,” one said
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“Not everything needs drama—sometimes a quick Irish exit is just a tired artist heading home. Let the man breathe,” another said.
“'Full of themselves' central…. Show has been on snooze for 20 years,” one wrote.
“I mean, a country boy is bound to feel uncomfortable in one of the country’s hot beds of sin and wokeness,” said another.
“The show was over, credits were rolling…what else was he supposed to do?” one said in his defense
Image credits: Inside Edition
While netizens made assumptions about Morgan’s unexpected exit, sources close to him told Variety that there was no meaning behind his exit.
They also said that he simply left the stage in the same manner he had during rehearsals.
One source told ET that his quick exit during the closing credits was planned during rehearsals prior to the show.
Insiders claimed there was no reason behind his quick exit at the end of the comedy show
Image credits: ABC News
Morgan’s history in the limelight is not without controversy, including a conflict with SNL.
Back in 2020, he was disinvited as the comedy show’s music guest after being captured breaking Covid-19 protocols by kissing multiple college women and partying maskless in Alabama.
He was re-booked in December of the same year and made fun of his own cancellation in one sketch.
The country crooner is no stranger to controversy and has been arrested on numerous occasions
Image credits: Saturday Night Live
Aside from his SNL repertoire, he has also faced scrutiny for other past incidents.
In 2016, he was arrested for driving under the influence in Nashville, Tennessee.
His disruptive behavior—which included kicking glass items—at Kid Rock’s honky-tonk steakhouse in Nashville had him thrown out of the bar in 2020.
He was charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct for the incident.
In another incident in 2021, he faced immense backlash and was removed from more than 400 U.S. radio playlists for using a racial slur on camera.
He later said in a statement that he was “embarrassed and sorry.”
Morgan apologized after being caught using a racial slur in 2021
“I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back,” he said, promising to “do better.”
“There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word,” he added. “I promise to do better.”
Another arrest took place in 2024 after The Voice contestant threw a chair off the six-floor rooftop of Chief’s, a bar in Nashville.
“I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility,” he said at the time.
He later pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment for the chair-throwing incident.
"Why did they invite him in the first place?" one user wondered
