Before this week, one of the worst moments of Morgan Wallen‘s singing career was when his coach Adam Levine cut him during “The Voice” Season 6 playoffs. Six years later, Wallen is no doubt having flashbacks to his untimely elimination as he was just dumped by “Saturday Night Live” for breaking Covid-19 health safety protocols.
The rising country star was set to perform two songs during the October 10 episode of “SNL,” alongside host Bill Burr. It would have been a great chance for Wallen to reintroduce himself to audiences after originally rising to fame on NBC’s reality TV show, especially now that he’s having a successful run on the awards front, earning nominations at the CMT Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards.
Wallen’s shocking announcement came after he was seen partying and drinking without a mask on Tik Tok. “Saturday Night Live,” like all other shows that are filming during the pandemic, must adhere to strict safety protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“I was getting ready for ‘SNL’ this Saturday and I got a got a call from the show letting me know that I will no longer be able to play,” Wallen revealed Wednesday in a lengthy Instagram video. “And that’s because of Covid protocols, which I understand. I’m not positive for Covid, but my actions this past weekend were pretty shortsighted and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams. I respect the show’s decision because I know that I put them in jeopardy and I take ownership for this.”
He went on to say, “I would like to apologize to ‘SNL,’ to my fans, to my team for bringing me these opportunities and I let ’em down. On a more personal note, I think I have some growing up to do. 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. I wish I could’ve made country music and my fans proud this Saturday, but I respect the decision once again.”
On Season 6 of “The Voice,” Wallen originally joined Team Usher after his blind audition of “Collide.” He then beat out the Brothers Walker during the Battles with his cover of “Hey Brother.” The singer hit a snag in the Knockouts when Usher chose Stevie Jo over him following their “Story of My Life” renditions, but luckily Levine was there to steal him. Unfortunately, Wallen’s time on Team Adam didn’t last long as he was eliminated in the Playoffs after his “Stay” performance (watch above), just one week before the live shows.
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s newsletter with experts’ latest predictions
