Morgan Wallen is facing consequences after TMZ published a video of the country star yelling expletives, including the N-word.
In light of the video, the singer’s recording contract with Big Loud Records has been suspended.
“In the wake of recent events, Big Loud Records has made the decision to suspend Morgan Wallen’s recording contract indefinitely. Republic Records fully supports Big Loud’s decision and agrees such behavior will not be tolerated,” Big Loud said in a statement published on Twitter.
In response, CMT has also announced that they will remove the singer’s appearances from their platforms.
“After learning of Morgan Wallen’s racial slur late last night, we are in the process of removing his appearances from all our platforms. We do not tolerate or condone words and actions that are in direct opposition to our core values that celebrate diversity, equity & inclusion,” the country music television channel tweeted.
In a statement shared on Twitter, The Academy of Country Music Awards announced that they will halt Wallen’s “potential involvement and eligibility for this year’s 56th Academy of Country Music Awards cycle.” “We have made his management team aware of this decision. The Academy does not condone or support intolerance or behavior that doesn’t align with our commitment and dedication to diversity and inclusion,” they wrote.
They also stated that they plan to “expedite the offering of long-planned diversity training resources” for ACM Membership, Board, Staff and the Country Music artist community, made through their Diversity + Inclusion Task Force. “As a result of this unprecedented situation, the Academy will be reviewing our awards eligibility and submission process, ensuring our nominees consistently reflect the Academy’s integrity.”
Prior to Wallen’s contract suspension, iHeart Media had officially pulled Wallen’s music and content from their stations.
“In light of Morgan Wallen’s recent actions involving the use of a racial slur, we have made the decision to remove his music and content from our stations effective immediately,” an iHeart spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
SiriusXM and Pandora also removed his music from their playlists, according to a spokesman for SiriusXM.
Meanwhile, other platforms have yet to make a decision, according to Billboard. A representative for Cox Media Group told Billboard it was monitoring the situation and had no further comment, while Nate Deaton of KRTY, San Jose, Calif., told Billboard his station had suspended Wallen’s play. Radio network Entercom also removed his music from its playlists.
Shortly after the video was posted Tuesday, Wallen offered an apology to TMZ, admitting that he was “embarrassed and sorry.”
“I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back,” he said. “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.”
The suspension of Wallen’s record label contract comes amid success for the singer. Per Billboard, Wallen’s Jan. 8 release Dangerous: The Double Album, released by Big Loud Records in partnership with Republic Records, spent its third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and marked the largest streaming week ever for a country album. Wallen has also achieved four consecutive No. 1s on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. His current single, “7 Summers,” was ranked at No. 15.
The video is not the first time Wallen has been at the center of controversy. Last year, Wallen was removed as a musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live after videos surfaced showing the singer breaking COVID-19 safety protocols. In the circulated TikTok videos, Wallen was shown partying with a large group of people without a mask, which resulted in the singer getting criticized for his actions. Wallen, however, was eventually asked back as the musical guest at a later show and poked fun at himself in a sketch.
Feb. 3, 2:43 p.m. Updated with The Academy of Country Music statement.
About Post Author
