Lorne Michaels, creator and showrunner of Saturday Night Live, is speaking out about canceling Morgan Wallen’s performance.
The plug was pulled earlier this week on Wallen’s appearance. Social media videos show the country star drinking and attending a party without a mask on. According to Taste of Country, Michaels himself personally spoke to Wallen about the situation, saying we are “living in different times.”
“He probably isn’t the first country singer, the first person from rock and roll to party after a big, in this case, a football game, or a concert,” Michaels says in an interview with Willie Geist. “We are just living in a different time and everything is under scrutiny.”
Michaels Selects New Musical Act
Comedian Bill Burr will host this weekend’s edition of Saturday Night Live. Michaels notes musician Jack White will take Wallen’s place as the musical guest. It will be White’s fourth appearance as the show’s musical talent.
Wallen was seen over the weekend videos that show him drinking and attending a party after an Alabama football game. He is not wearing a COVID-19 protective face mask in any of the clips. He posted a video to social media addressing the situation earlier this week.
In the video, Wallen admits to making a mistake and offers an apology to his fans for his behavior.
“I was getting ready for Saturday Night Live this Saturday and I got a call from the show that I will no longer be able to play,” he says. “And that is because of COVID-19 protocols, which I understand.”
Wallen went on to say in the video that he isn’t positive for COVID-19 and expressed disappointment in his decisions. He calls his actions “shortsighted” and admits they have affected his long-term goals and dreams.
“I respect the show’s decision because I know that I put them in jeopardy and I take ownership for this,” he says. “I would like to apologize to ‘SNL,’ my fans and my team for bringing me these opportunities and I let them down.”
H/T: Taste of Country
