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| Rolling Stone Country singer Morgan Wallen has faced public backlash and industry consequences following recent controversies. |
Morgan Wallen's controversies highlight the inconsistencies of cancel culture, and how accountability in this industry is selective.
Wallen is a Grammy-nominated country music singer/ songwriter from Tennessee. His original claim to fame came from his appearance on The Voice in 2014. Known for songs like You Proof, Last Night, and I Had Some Help, this country artist has gained a massive following and topped the charts with his 2023 album, One Thing at a Time.
However, despite his musical success, the singer/songwriter has had numerous controversies plague his reputation. In January of 2016, Wallen was arrested under a DUI charge which was later dismissed by the court that summer.
One might think he'd learn his lesson after finding himself on the dark side of the spotlight, but they'd be sorely mistaken.
In May 2020, Wallen was again arrested for charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct after being kicked out of Kid Rock's honkey-tonk steak house in Nashville, Tennessee.
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| Wallen's mug shot was taken after his May 2020 arrest. |
After apologizing on Twitter to the establishments for causing the disturbance, the case was ultimately dismissed.
Yet, the 2020 scandals weren't over for Wallen.
In October 2020, Wallen was seen partying without a face covering when COVID-19 protocols were strictly followed. He faced public backlash and was pulled from his spot as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Later in the year, Wallen was rebooked as the musical guest and he did a sketch mocking his earlier blunder.
You'd think his behavior stopped there, right? Nope — it's Morgan Wallen.
In February 2021, his recording contract with Big Loud Records was suspended after he was seen using a racial slur in a TMZ video. He was eventually brought back to the record label after issuing an apology video on Instagram and seemingly repenting for his mistake.
From there he canceled his tour dates in April of 2021 and was banned from multiple award shows including the 2021 Billboard Music Awards and the American Music Awards that November.
Over the next few years, however, Wallen seemed to get his act together. He addressed previous controversies, appeared back on stage, and advocated to get rid of cancel culture.
Then he lived happily ever after and he never did anything controversial again.
I'm obviously kidding.
In April 2024 Wallen was arrested after throwing a chair off of Eric Church's rooftop bar in Nashville and was charged with one count of disorderly conduct and three felony counts of reckless endangerment, marking his third arrest.
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| Wallen was arrested after throwing a chair off a rooftop bar in Nashville. Later on, in court, Wallen pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced to seven days incarceration at a DUI education center and two years probation. |
After everything Wallen's done, you'd think he would have fallen victim to cancel culture, which is the mass movement of revoking privileges and trying to blacklist public figures, often via social media.
Yet, despite everything, he continues to top the charts and make public appearances on many platforms.
The most recent being his appearance on SNL in March 2025 where he once again stirred up trouble by walking off the set early.
He then posted on his Instagram story shortly after his leave on the tarmac saying, "Get me to God's country."
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| Wallen's Instagram story shortly after leaving the set of SNL sparked controversy. |
Although Wallen has yet to comment on the incident, it hasn't stopped others from giving their opinions. SNL sketch comedian Keenan Thompson weighed in in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying that it was "definitely a spike in the norm" as the guests typically stay on stage to give their kudos to the cast.
All in all, Wallen has continued to see major success in his career with sold-out shows and chart-topping hits, it makes you start to wonder, would this be handled differently in another genre?
In the public eye, Wallen has gotten out of numerous scandals and still manages to keep his name clean despite all he's done in the past. The industry and those around him see fit to protect Wallen from his scandals, but it makes you start to think if he truly should have been canceled, which clearly he isn't with his continued rise in fame.
Although Wallen has apologized for his mistakes on numerous occasions, this shows us how the public is more willing to forgive an individual in this industry for their wrongdoing that wouldn't be nearly as minuscule if they had been committed by an ordinary person. When was the last time you heard someone say a racial slur on a widely televised broadcast and get away with it?
Wallen's continued success isn't just about catchy music, it's a reflection of who we choose to hold accountable and who we let slide. His career serves as a reminder that fame often shields people from the real-world consequences the rest of us would face. Until the industry, and the fans who fuel it, start demanding more from the artists they support apologies without action will keep being enough — and that's not just a Morgan Wallen problem. It's a cultural one.
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