Morgan Wallen took to Instagram and posted a five-minute video apology regarding what happened on the night he was recorded using a racial slur. Wallen asked his fans ‘not to defend him’ because he “was wrong” and now takes “ownership” of problems caused by his use of the N-word.
The 27-year-old Wallen had remained silent since the incident, but emerged on Wednesday to give his side of the story. “I’m long overdue to make a statement regarding my last incident,” he said, adding that he took time to collect his thoughts and “seek some real guidance.” Said Wallen, “The video you saw was me on hour 72 of a bender, and that’s not something I’m proud of either. Obviously, the natural thing to do is to apologize further and continue to apologize because you got caught, and that’s not what I wanted to do.”
Wallen said he has also reached out and engaged in “some very real and honest conversations” with leaders of various Black organizations. He added, “Our actions matter. Our words matter and I just want to encourage anyone watching to please learn from my mistake. There’s no reason to downplay what I did. It matters and please know I’m carefully choosing my next steps in repair.”
The fallout from that incident has seen Wallen suspended by his record label, pulled from radio, and dropped by many in the country music genre.
Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
