Celebs Who've Called Out Morgan Wallen
Back in February 2021, Morgan Wallen's career appeared to hang in the balance when TMZ obtained video of him using the N-word. The country star was returning home after a night of partying with friends in Nashville, Tennessee when a neighbor recorded them being seriously rowdy. Backlash was swift and Wallen told TMZ, "I'm embarrassed and sorry." Then, in his first interview since the incident, he told Good Morning America that he wished he could take back the racial slur, but insisted he didn't mean anything bad by it. Explaining that he used the word while speaking to a close friend, he justified, "In our minds, it's playful." He added, "That sounds ignorant, but that's really where it came from."
That was just one of Wallen's many controversies and yet, it helped his career. Following the release of the video, his album sales grew and he held onto the top spot on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart despite being suspended by his record label and radio stations (momentarily) refusing to play his tracks. Since then, life has gone back to normal for Wallen who won Album of the Year at the 2022 ACMs, as well as Favorite Male Country Artist at the 2022 AMAs and Country Artist of the Year at 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Not everyone's forgiven him, though. Here are all the celebs who've publicly called out Wallen.
Jason Isbell thinks Morgan Wallen's an 'idiot'
Morgan Wallen was one of Jason Isbell's biggest fans, even covering his famous song, "Cover Me Up," for his 2021 album, "Dangerous: The Double Album." However, his idol has since become one of his biggest critics. Following Wallen's use of the N-word, Isbell didn't hold back in condemning him. "Wallen's behavior is disgusting and horrifying," he slammed. "I think this is an opportunity for the country music industry to give that spot to somebody who deserves it, and there are lots of black artists who deserve it." He then took things one step further by revealing his plans for the royalties he earned from Wallen. "I've decided to donate everything I've made so far from this album to the Nashville chapter of the @NAACP," he tweeted.
Isbell's criticism didn't end there. After Wallen made a surprise appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 2022, he criticized the iconic venue. "Last night @opry you had a choice — either upset one guy and his 'team,' or break the hearts of a legion of aspiring Black country artists," he wrote. "You chose wrong and I'm real sad for a lot of my friends today." Speaking with BuzzFeed in December 2021, Isbell shared the consequences he wishes Wallen would have faced. "We're not calling for the man's head!" he explained. "We're just going, 'This guy is an idiot and he does not deserve to be put on a pedestal, so let's take him off the pedestal and put him back down on the sidewalk with everybody else.'"
Mickey Guyton proclaimed 'the hate runs deep'
Mickey Guyton is calling for more diversity in country music. The singer, who became the first Black solo female artist to receive a Grammy nomination in the country category in 2021, is ready for the industry to become more open. Speaking with The Guardian in 2021, she noted, "In order for there to be change in country music, there needs to be such a surge of other types of artists who aren't just white and male." Given her stance, it came as no surprise when she clapped back at Morgan Wallen for his racial slur.
She initially responded to the news by tweeting, "The hate runs deep. Smfh." She then unleashed her feelings in a thread in which she went after folks defending Wallen. "When I read comments saying 'this is not who we are' I laugh because this is exactly who country music is," she slammed. "I've witnessed it for 10 gd years." Guyton then shared a slew of underrepresented artists she thinks everyone should listen to and support and mused, "I question on a daily basis as to why I continue to fight to be in an industry that seems to hate me so much." The answer? To inspire the next generation. The musician ended her tirade by saying she's not a proponent of cancel culture and believes in second chances, but underscored that "Morgan must feel the weight of his words."
Cassadee Pope was 'disgusted' by Wallen's words
Morgan Wallen has made a lifelong enemy of Cassadee Pope. After TMZ shared video evidence of his racially insensitive comments, "The Voice" winner took to Instagram and posted an angry face emoji while unleashing her frustration and anger in the caption. "I am completely disgusted by Morgan Wallens' words," she began. "To be that flippant and nonchalant while hurling the most offensive racial slur you could utter .... some people just have ZERO sensitivity to a real f*****g problem in this world: racism." She concluded by saying that such behavior "has been tolerated and enabled way too long" within the industry and noted, "It has NO place in this world."
Pope went after Wallen for a second time in 2022 when he joined Ernest in a surprise appearance at the Grand Ole Opry to perform their song, "Flower Shops." Turning to Twitter to take another public stance against Wallen, she revealed she'd be donating all of her Cameo proceeds from that week to The Black Opry, which she dubbed "an amazing place that supports the way to often overlooked talent." The initiative was founded in 2021 by Holly G. to shine a spotlight on and promote Black musicians working in country, Americana, folk, and blues music.
Leah Turner called on the industry to do better
The racial slur wasn't the first time Morgan Wallen found himself marred by controversy. In May 2020, he got so rowdy inside Kid Rock's Big Honky Tonk & Steakhouse in Nashville, Tennessee that police had to be called. After the singer refused to leave, he was arrested and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct. In a since-deleted tweet, saved by WKRN, Wallen claimed that he and his friends were just "horse-playing with each other" and noted, "We didn't mean any harm, and we want to say sorry to any bar staff or anyone that was affected." In the end, he wasn't prosecuted, but he was back in the headlines in October 2020 for not following COVID-19 protocols. AL.com rounded up a number of since-deleted TikTok videos that showed him partying with fans in Alabama with no masks and no social distancing. In a video response seen by Reuters, Wallen told fans, "I think I have some growing up to do." He also vowed, "I'm going to take a step back from the spotlight for a little while and go work on myself."
Except he didn't. Country singer Leah Turner, who released her second EP, "Lost In Translation," in 2021, took to Twitter to highlight how many times Wallen had been forgiven. "He will get another chance... boys will be boys, right!?" she mused. "The chances he's been given would never be given to women and then he has the audacity to speak this way! Country music, do better."
Maren Morris took a very public stand against Morgan Wallen
Maren Morris isn't afraid to call out her peers (remember her feud with Brittany Aldean?!) and so, she didn't hold back from criticizing Morgan Wallen along with Kelsea Ballerini and the industry as a whole. It began when Ballerini responded to the Wallen controversy by tweeting, "The news out of Nashville tonight does not represent country music." Well, Morris didn't agree and she was quick to clap back. "It actually IS representative of our town because this isn't his first 'scuffle' and he just demolished a huge streaming record last month regardless," she wrote. "We all know it wasn't his first time using that word. We keep them rich and protected at all costs with no recourse."
Jump to 2022 when Wallen won Album of the Year at the ACMs and she again took a public stand, as fans noticed she refused to get up and clap. Later that year, Los Angeles Times asked Morris about Wallen's continued popularity and accolades and she admitted she didn't know what to make of it anymore. "I've never hated that guy," she shared. Noting that his response was better than the Aldeans' – "At least Morgan tried to apologize, even if it wasn't perfect" – she concluded with the hard truth: "He's not going anywhere, and I feel like all you can do at this point is shut up and listen to people that are smarter than you try to tell you why what you did was wrong."
Justin Fabus wants country music to be more inclusive
Justin Fabus may be one of country music's newer up-and-coming talents, but he's not shy about speaking his mind. Fabus, who has opened for New Kids On The Block and who released his latest EP, "The Aftermath," in 2021, has repeatedly spoken about the importance of inclusivity. In an interview with Medium in 2022, he explained why he thinks diversity in the entertainment industry is crucial, saying, "We all come from different backgrounds and cultures and we can all learn from each other when it comes to those things." Indeed, he doesn't think that any one genre should belong to any one person and once told All or Nothing Magazine, "I don't understand when people say, 'Oh, I only like country music.'"
Throughout his career, Fabus' actions have matched his words and he's repeatedly performed at the Concert for Love and Acceptance. Organized by Ty Herndon, the yearly event supports his Foundation For Love & Acceptance, which helps at-risk youth with a focus on serving the LGBTQ community. Fabus has also always encouraged his fans to stand up for themselves – "Don't take any s*** from anybody," he told Medium – and he brought that unfiltered honesty to Twitter following the Morgan Wallen controversy. "If you condone or try to justify @MorganWallen's latest behavior, there is NO place for you in the Country Music community or ANY community," he tweeted. As he so simply put it, "Enough is enough."