Morgan Wallen Explains Abrupt ‘SNL’ Exit, Says He Was Ready to Go Home

Morgan Wallen‘s abrupt exit from the Saturday Night Live stage during cast goodbyes made for good content. “Weekend Update” hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che slipped jokes about it into the next episode. Cast favorite Kenan Thompson also responded. Now, more than a month later, Wallen is offering an explanation.

Wallen appeared on the podcast Sundae Conversations with host Caleb Pressley, who asked him, “Seriously, SNL, did they make you mad?” The singer’s response was brief. “No, no, I was just ready to go home,” he said. “I been there all week.”

The conversation moved on just as quickly as Wallen walked off the stage. There wasn’t much context provided to the Instagram Story post he shared following his departure, which featured a picture of a private plane with the caption, “Get me to God’s country.” Wallen started selling merchandise using the phrase within 48 hours of the post.

“It just felt so abrupt. And it was already such a small grouping on the stage anyway. So it was just like, oh wow, that was pretty visible,” Thompson said in an interview that same week. “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? … That’s not necessarily my favorite. But whatever.”

Appearing on Saturday Night Live is a week-long commitment that typically includes sit-downs with writers, other cast members, and general rehearsals. Wallen had a lighter lift, given that he only performed, while Mikey Madison completed all of the preparation required of a host. The singer was reportedly asked to be in a sketch with Madison, Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman, Ego Nwodim, and Sarah Sherman, but declined. He was replaced by Joe Jonas.

Wallen appeared on SNL once before, though that was marred with controversy, too. He was originally scheduled to make his debut on an October 2020 episode, but his offer to perform was rescinded after videos surfaced of the singer partying with clear violations to the show’s Covid-19 protocols. Wallen eventually joined an episode that December, performing two songs and appearing in a sketch that poked fun at the cancelled performance.