The '7 Summers' singer returns to Instagram to address the N-word controversy, admitting that he 'was wrong' and encouraging others 'to please learn from my mistake.'
- Feb 11, 2021
AceShowbiz - Morgan Wallen is owning up to his mistake. The rising country music star has returned to Instagram over a week after he was caught using the N-word in a video filmed by his neighbor. Addressing the storm of criticism directed at him for the controversy, the singer once again extended his apology and expressed his regret for his action.
Opening the approximately 5-minute clip, Morgan acknowledged, "I'm long overdue to make a statement regarding my last incident," but he was taking the time to collect his thoughts, "seek some real guidance" and hoped to come to everyone with a "complete thought" before saying anything.
The 27-year-old said his previous apology which was released by TMZ only used "a portion" of his words, which he claimed "painted me in an even more careless light." Detailing the night when he was filmed yelling profanities at his friend, he said, "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 apologize further and just continue to apologize but because you got caught and that's not what I wanted to do," he explained. In between those times, Morgan said he accepted invitations from black organizations, executives and leaders to have open and honest conversations. "They offered me grace and they also paired that with an offer to learn and to grow," he said.
On what he learned from those meetings, Morgan said he realized, "My words matter. My words can truly hurt a person and at my core, that's not what I'm okay with." He continued, "I wish the circumstances were different for me to learn these things but I'm also glad it started the process for me to do so."
"This week I heard firsthand some personal stories from Black people that honestly shook me," the former "The Voice" contestant went on sharing. "And I know what I'm going through this week doesn't even compare to some of the trials I about from them. I came away from those discussions with a deep appreciation for them and a clearer understanding of the weight of my words."
Asking fans not to "downplay" his mistake, the Sneedville-born artist added, "Our actions matter. Our words matter." Taking from his experience, he encouraged "anyone that is watching [his video] to please learn from my mistake."
"I was wrong. It's on me to take ownership for this and I fully accept the penalties I'm facing," he added, assuring that he has been sober for nine days since the scandal. "The timing of my return is solely upon me and the work I put in... This entire situation is ugly right now but I'll keep searching for ways to become the example instead of being made one."
"Who knows if I'll be able to live down all the mistakes I've made but I'm certainly going to try. I'm going to spend some time taking back controls in my habit living healthy and being proud of my actions," he vowed as he concluded the video.
Morgan has been dealing with the aftermath of the N-word scandal. In the wake of the video, his music was pulled from IHeart Media's stations and removed from SiriusXM and Pandora's playlists. He was dropped by his agency WME and his recording contract with Big Loud Records was suspended indefinitely.
CMT removed the singer's appearances from its platforms, while the Academy of Country Music Awards announced that it would halt Morgan's "potential involvement and eligibility for this year's 56th Academy of Country Music Awards cycle."
