Why Morgan Wallen's SNL Exit Sparked Controversy

On the March 29 episode of Saturday Night Live, country singer Morgan Wallen was the musical guest, while newly minted Oscar-winning actress Mikey Madison was the host. Though the show went on without a hitch, as the credits rolled at the end of the episode, Wallen was seen quickly hugging Madison, ignoring the rest of the cast, and walking off the set.

Fans quickly noticed his abrupt exit, as the host and musical guest typically stay around after the credits to chat with cast members and give hugs and handshakes. Wallen didn't follow this time-honored tradition and simply left. Viewers were left wondering why he made such a speedy exit.

Users across social media started sharing their interpretation of the night's events, with some speculating it may have been a concerted move in the growing culture wars across America. Those rumors, though, were not helped by Wallen's Instagram Story posted shortly after the show, which featured a photo of a private jet with the caption, "Get me to God's country." This comment wasn't taken kindly on social media, as people felt it was a back-handed comment to the diverse cast of SNL.

An anonymous source at NBC who told TMZ that there isn't any bad blood between Wallen and the network and that he's welcome back at any time. Entertainment Weekly reported that he exited just as they practiced during rehearsal and camera blocking, which is why he only said bye to Madison.

Kenan Thompson, a cast member who has been on the show for 22 seasons, spoke about the incident to Entertainment Weekly. "I don't know if he understood the assignment or not, or if he was really feeling a certain kind of way," he said during the interview. "You see somebody before you get a chance to say hi or say good job or anything like that, they just dipping. I thought maybe he had to go to the potty or something."

Thompson said that the abrupt exit was a "spike in the norm." He continued, "We're so used to everybody just turning around and high-fiving us, everybody's saying, 'Good job, good job, good job.' So when there's a departure from that, it's like, hmm, I wonder what that's about? ... Seems like a complicated individual, I guess."

The last similar incident on the show was with the late legendary artist Prince, which Thompson said was to be expected as he was known for being "notoriously standoffish." But what happened last week was "just different because it just felt so abrupt," Thompson said. "And it was already such a small grouping on the stage anyway. So it was just like, oh wow, that was pretty visible."

Thompson also addressed Wallen's Instagram Story and questioned the singer's words. "The 'God's country' of it all is strange because it's like, what are you trying to say?" He continued, "You trying to say that we are not in God's country? We're not all in God's country? We're not all under God's umbrella? That's not necessarily my favorite."

After Wallen uploaded his Instagram Story, the phrase "Get me to God's country" became a viral meme that was being used to poke fun at the situation. X users began sharing photos of their favorite places, real and fictional.

The country singer also uploaded an Instagram Reel on Tuesday, where he's seen shooting guns and riding ATVs to his new song, "Come Back As A Redneck." The caption on the post reads, "Maybe then you'll understand." Some fans interpreted the caption as a comment on the SNL situation, but it's unclear.

Though Wallen hasn't given an official statement on the matter, since the viral meme took off on social media, he announced official merch with the phrase, "Get me to God's country," on T-shirts and hats for $45.

Read the original article on InStyle