SNL cancels musical guest Morgan Wallen over maskless partying videos

Saturday Night Live returned to Rockefeller Plaza in September and premiered their first in-studio episode last Saturday since shutting down production in March. Following three at-home episodes this past spring, the October 3 episode marked the first live show in seven months. SNL’s return has come with strict safety protocols to prevent a COVID outbreak, and that includes restrictions for hosts and musical guests. After videos of him partying without a mask surfaced online earlier this week, SNL cancelled upcoming musical guest Morgan Wallen, who was set to make his debut on the October 10 episode.On October 2, SNL announced that Wallen would be the musical guest opposite host Bill Burr. Wallen celebrated the announcement on Twitter, writing “Doesn’t get much bigger than this when it comes to television. Thank you @nbcsnl for having a good ole boy and his friends on to sing our stories.”Only one day later, the good old boy attended a University of Alabama football game and took his celebratory mood too far. Multiple videos of Wallen began popping up on TikTok showing the country singer partying closely with students without a mask and even kissing some coeds.

Hope u don't have covid bro! & I hope everyone you're working with this week knows how you spent your weekend. Think about all the workers at @nbcsnl who aren't rich and don't have a choice but to do their job. Hope ur big day goes great tho ??? pic.twitter.com/hJDRxe6LlM

— ?Amy Sm??t? (@amy_sm00t) October 5, 2020

After multiple outlets begin sharing videos showing Wallen’s reckless behavior, SNL cancelled his upcoming appearance. Wallen posted a video late Wednesday night on his Instagram confirming that he would no longer be performing on the long-running sketch show. “This is a tough video for me to make but a necessary one,” said Wallen. “I’m in New York City in a hotel room. I was getting ready for SNL this Saturday. And I got a call from the show letting me know that I will no longer be able to play, and that’s because of the COVID protocols, which I understand.”[video_embed id='-1']RELATED: This dog's favorite country singer is Morgan Wallen[/video_embed]The country singer looked remorseful as he apologized to the cast and crew of the show, as well as his fans and management team. “I respect the show’s decision because I know that I put them in jeopardy, and I take ownership for this,” said Wallen. The singer noted that he has not tested positive for COVID-19, but said that he understands why SNL has cancelled his appearance (false negatives are possible – wear your mask, wash your hands and practice physical distancing!).“I wish I could have made country music and my fans proud this Saturday, but I respect the decision once again,” said Wallen, who added that show creator Lorne Michaels talked to him about possibly performing on a future episode. “That means a lot to me. Thank you for that.”

 

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A post shared by Morgan Wallen (@morganwallen) on Oct 7, 2020 at 3:06pm PDT

On October 9, Lorne Michaels announced on The Today Show that Jack White (formerly of The White Stripes) would fill in for Wallen, adding mischievously that there may be another surprise guest as well. White is a tried and true SNL performer, having taken the show's stage three times as a solo act and an additional time with the band.Morgan Wallen first began his rise to prominence with an appearance on season six of The Voice, where he was part of Usher and later Adam Levine’s teams. The Tennessee native released his debut album If I Know Me in 2018 and won Best New Country Artist at the 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards.SNL has been working diligently to keep their cast, crew and audience safe. Frequent rapid COVID testing for all cast and crew is mandatory and physical distancing is practiced throughout the SNL office and studio 8H. Audience members, who are also subject to rapid COVID tests, are being paid $150 as ‘cast members’ in order to comply with New York’s health regulations. During last week’s season 46 premiere, former SNL cast member and returning host Chris Rock confirmed that the audience members seated in front of the stage were essential workers who have been on the front lines during the pandemic. So yeah, they deserve a great view, $150 and a whole lot more.[video_embed id='2030335']Before you go: Cat attempts daily hilarious attack on mail carrier[/video_embed]