Morgan Wallen made an unusual exit during his most recent appearance on Saturday Night Live. On March 29, the country singer was the musical guest on the NBC sketch comedy series, alongside guest host Mikey Madison.
Wallen performed two songs during his guest stint—“I’m The Problem” and “Just in Case”— but his actions at the end of the show left fans confused.
While standing onstage for the traditional show ending with the full cast, Wallen appeared uncomfortable. He didn’t speak, and left Madison to address the audience with, “Thank you so much to Morgan Wallen. I had a wonderful time. Thank you all.”
Wallen then gave a small salute to the audience and a quick hug to Madison before exiting the stage, thus skipping the traditional hugs and on-stage hangout with the cast. A few of the SNL regulars appeared to notice Wallen’s abrupt exit as they looked off stage as the credits rolled.
It is unclear if Wallen returned to say goodbye to the cast or hang out with the group for the SNL afterparty. Not long after the show ended, the Tennessee-based singer appeared ready to leave New York City. He took to his Instagram story to post a photo of a plane at the airport and captioned it, “Get me to God’s country.”
Fans on social media reacted with comments on Wallen’s abrupt stage exit.
“Hmm, so having never missed an episode of SNL in decades, Morgan Wallen giving a quick wave, then walking off the stage during goodbyes was odd,” one viewer wrote on X.
“Wow, Morgan Wallen just walking off the stage during the credits? In decades of watching SNL, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that,” another agreed.
Other fans felt that Wallen made a statement after possibly not feeling welcomed by the SNL cast.
Wallen’s SNL performance came nearly five years after he was disinvited from the show for breaking safety protocols at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, he was photographed partying in Alabama without a mask days before he was scheduled for SNL rehearsals. While his original invite to perform on the show was taken back, Wallen appeared on Saturday Night Live two months later, per People magazine.
