Morgan Wallen left the stage at the end of SNL: why? Updates on his departure
31 march 2025 в 20:13
Morgan Wallen returned as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live after almost five years. Oscar-winning actress Maike Madison hosted the episode on March 29, 2025, and, as is customary, she stood next to Morgan in front of the SNL cast on stage to thank everyone. But Morgan’s sudden departure as soon as the credits rolled sparked extensive debates on social media. Although he and Maike seemed to have a positive interaction, the singer’s exit was a rare occurrence, as musical guests usually stay after the show. So why did Morgan leave the stage at the end of SNL?
Below are all the updates we have at the moment about Morgan’s sudden departure from SNL.
It is unclear what exactly Morgan whispered to Maike, but judging by their facial expressions, the short conversation seemed friendly. They also hugged before the Grammy nominee left.
Morgan has not commented on his departure yet, but several sources have reported that there were no ill intentions on his part. Variety reported that sources from Morgan’s camp said he was positively received back on the show and «his departure was not an intentional insult».
Fox News also reported that a source said, «He was coming in and out of the studio all week during rehearsals and camera blocking, so he just left like that after hugging Maike».
Perhaps viewers would not have speculated about Morgan’s recent departure from the stage if his past scandals had not made headlines. At the end of 2020, he was invited to be a musical guest on the show, but on social media, he was seen violating COVID-19 protocols. Videos of Morgan in a bar in Alabama without social distancing, as required during the pandemic, surfaced.
SNL immediately removed Morgan as a musical guest, and the country singer apologized in a video on Instagram.
«I was called by the show to let me know that I would no longer be able to perform», - Morgan said from his hotel room in New York at the time. «I respect the show’s decision because I know I put them at risk, and I take responsibility for that».
A few months later, SNL invited Morgan back to participate in a self-deprecating sketch parodying his antics in the bar during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Morgan faced criticism again in 2021 when a past video surfaced on social media where he used a racist expression. Later that same year, he broke his silence on the matter during an interview on Good Morning America.
«I was with friends, and we were just… we were talking nonsense together», - he explained. «And it was — in our opinion, it was playful… it sounds stupid, but that’s where it came from — and it’s wrong»
Below are all the updates we have at the moment about Morgan’s sudden departure from SNL.
It is unclear what exactly Morgan whispered to Maike, but judging by their facial expressions, the short conversation seemed friendly. They also hugged before the Grammy nominee left.
Morgan has not commented on his departure yet, but several sources have reported that there were no ill intentions on his part. Variety reported that sources from Morgan’s camp said he was positively received back on the show and «his departure was not an intentional insult».
Fox News also reported that a source said, «He was coming in and out of the studio all week during rehearsals and camera blocking, so he just left like that after hugging Maike».
Perhaps viewers would not have speculated about Morgan’s recent departure from the stage if his past scandals had not made headlines. At the end of 2020, he was invited to be a musical guest on the show, but on social media, he was seen violating COVID-19 protocols. Videos of Morgan in a bar in Alabama without social distancing, as required during the pandemic, surfaced.
SNL immediately removed Morgan as a musical guest, and the country singer apologized in a video on Instagram.
«I was called by the show to let me know that I would no longer be able to perform», - Morgan said from his hotel room in New York at the time. «I respect the show’s decision because I know I put them at risk, and I take responsibility for that».
A few months later, SNL invited Morgan back to participate in a self-deprecating sketch parodying his antics in the bar during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Morgan faced criticism again in 2021 when a past video surfaced on social media where he used a racist expression. Later that same year, he broke his silence on the matter during an interview on Good Morning America.
«I was with friends, and we were just… we were talking nonsense together», - he explained. «And it was — in our opinion, it was playful… it sounds stupid, but that’s where it came from — and it’s wrong»
© Artemenko Olga
