Country music artist Morgan Wallen is facing blowback from fans and industry members alike for using a racist slur in a video recently first published by TMZ on Tuesday night.
The video, which was released by TMZ on Tuesday, Feb. 2, appears to show Wallen arriving back at his home in the early hours of Sunday, Jan. 31. The outlet alleges that neighbors captured the video of Wallen — in which the singer can be heard using the n-word — after he began creating a verbal nuisance outside the home.
Soon after TMZ released the video, Wallen issued a statement to the outlet saying he was “embarrassed and sorry” for his actions.
“I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back,” Wallen’s statement continued. “There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better.”
But for many, the 27-year-old’s apology was too little, too late. On Wednesday, CMT announced that they are in the “process of removing his appearances from all our platforms” in light of Wallen’s comments on Sunday.
“We do not tolerate or condone words and actions that are in direct opposition to our core values that celebrate diversity, equity & inclusion,” the company wrote on Twitter.
The “Whiskey Glasses” singer’s contract with Big Loud records was also suspended “indefinitely,” the company revealed Wednesday.
“In the wake of recent events, Big Loud Records has made the decision to suspend Morgan Wallen’s recording contract indefinitely,” the statement read in part. “Republic Records fully supports Big Loud’s decision and agrees such behavior will not be tolerated.”
The suspension of Wallen’s contract could prove to be a blow to the singer’s career, although his 30-track album “Dangerous: The Double Album” — which was released in a partnership with Republic Records and Big Loud Records — has spent the past three weeks in the top position on the Billboard 200 chart.
That is likely to change, as numerous radio stations have already removed his music from their playlists.
“In light of Morgan Wallen’s recent actions involving the use of a racial slur, we have made the decision to remove his music and content from our stations effective immediately,” according to a statement from iHeartMedia, which has hundreds of radio stations across the country.
As of Wednesday morning, streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music also don’t have his songs in their most popular country music playlists, where normally Wallen had multiple songs from his new album.
Other country stars criticized his actions publicly.
Maren Morris, without using Wallen’s name, criticized the industry at large for protecting problematic artists.
“It actually IS representative of our town because this isn’t his first “scuffle” and he just demolished a huge streaming record last month regardless,” Morris wrote. “We all know it wasn’t his first time using that word. We keep them rich and protected at all costs with no recourse.”
"Black Like Me" singer Mickey Guyton posted a series of tweets reacting to Wallen’s reported comments, saying while no one “deserves to be canceled,” Wallen’s comments are “unacceptable."
The Tennessee-born singer has done a lot of public apologizing lately.
Wallen was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct in May 2020 after getting kicked out of a downtown Nashville bar.
In October, “Saturday Night Live” dropped him from a scheduled performance on their show after he violated COVID-19 protocols when videos appeared on social media of him partying with fans in Alabama. He was later invited back on the show in December, where he appeared in a skit making fun of himself.
The Associated Press contributed to her report.