Morgan Wallen keeps winning despite arrests, show cancellations and onstage chaos: expert
Over the past month, Morgan Wallen made headlines for a slew of controversial incidents: snatching a phone from a security guard, flipping a piano over mid-show, then canceling a highly anticipated stadium gig at the last minute. Yet despite the backlash, the country superstar continues to dominate the charts, reinforcing a familiar pattern of controversy followed by continued success.
From public arrests to onstage meltdowns, the "Whiskey Glasses" crooner has had his share of downfalls. Yet, the wins keep following.
"The truth is simple, but significant: if you simply call ‘balls and strikes’ while you continue to put out good music, you’ll be fine," Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, said. "In other words, tell me whether it’s a ball or a strike; don’t tell me whether it’s a good pitch, or whether the batter has personal baggage. When it comes to ’lectures from the lead singer,’ Americans have a tolerance, and just like mercury in a thermometer, it has limits."
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"His controversies—whether comments or self-induced chaos—have fallen outside of the PR trajectory needed to clear the Van Allen Belts," Eldridge continued. "In terms of his behavior, his would-be ‘bad boy’ decorum is coming on the heels of iconic touring acts, like Cash, Jennings, Motley, and the Stones, so it almost seems benign, by contrast."
Wallen — who was first discovered while appearing on "The Voice" in 2014 — experienced his first wave of disappointment when he was eliminated from the singing competition show right before the live shows began.
"The disappointments just made me dig deeper and figure out why I didn’t win," he once told Billboard about the loss. "Some things in life are out of your control. Being the best you can be isn’t. I didn’t feel like I was the best I could have been. So, I practiced harder and really tried to make my voice second nature."
But little did he know, his career was about to take off.
In 2018, Wallen dropped his debut album, "If I Know Me," which went certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and reached No. 1 on the top country charts with multiple singles receiving mainstream success.
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With newfound stardom, Wallen was on top. But things took a turn when the country star was arrested two years later after being kicked out of Kid Rock’s bar in downtown Nashville in 2020. After reportedly refusing to walk away with his friends when given the opportunity by police, authorities determined Wallen was "a danger to himself and the public" and took him into custody.
"I went out downtown last night with a few old friends. After a couple bar stops, we were horse-playing with each other," he wrote on X at the time.
"We didn’t mean any harm, and we want to say sorry to any bar staff or anyone that was affected. Thank you to the local authorities for being so professional and doing their job with class."
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A few months later, days before he was scheduled to perform on "Saturday Night Live" in October 2020, clips of Morgan engaging in non-COVID-compliant behavior at an Alabama football game and celebrating at a bar afterward began circulating online. The move cost him his "SNL" gig that month.
"I’m not positive for COVID, but my actions this past weekend were pretty short-sighted and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams," he wrote on X at the time.
"I think I have some growing up to do. I think I’ve lost myself a little bit," he added. "I’ve tried to find joy in the wrong places and, I don’t know, it’s left me with less joy. So, I’m gonna go try to work on that. I’m gonna take a step back from the spotlight for a little while and go work on myself."
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"SNL" did welcome him back in December of that same year, however.
One month after releasing his highly successful second studio album, "Dangerous: The Double Album," in January 2021, Wallen stirred more controversy after video surfaced of him using a racial slur.
In a video circulating online, Wallen used the N-word while referring to one of his friends.
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Not only was Wallen immediately suspended from his record label, but radio stations and streamers pulled his music and he was ineligible to receive any awards from the Academy of Country Music that year.
"I'm embarrassed and sorry," Wallen said in a statement shared with Fox News. "I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. 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."
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In 2023, after the release of his third album, Wallen caught heat for canceling a show in Mississippi minutes before he was expected to hit the stage.
"After last night's show, I started losing my voice so I spent the day resting up, talking to my doctor and working through my vocal exercises trying to get better," Wallen wrote on Instagram the next morning. "I really thought I'd be able to take the stage and it kills me to deliver this so close to showtime, but my voice is shot and I am unable to sing."
Wallen went on to say, "All tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. I am so sorry, I promise you guys I tried everything I could."
Rumors began to spread that Wallen was too intoxicated to perform, hence the last minute cancellation. Wallen later disputed those claims, and insisted he had a vocal injury. The cancellation resulted in multiple lawsuits from fans.
One year later, in April 2024, Wallen found himself arrested on felony charges of reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct after throwing a chair off the rooftop of Eric Church’s Chief’s on Broadway bar in Tennessee.
Wallen was released on a $15,000 bail, and took to social media to issue an apology.
"I’m not proud of my behavior," he wrote on X at the time. "I have the utmost respect for the officers working every day to keep us all safe."
Wallen pleaded guilty in December 2024 and was sentenced to seven days at a DUI education center and placed on two-year probation.
Three months later, Wallen sparked outrage after abruptly leaving "SNL" during the traditional end-of-show credits segment. Shortly after leaving Manhattan's 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Wallen wrote that he was excited to return home. The country music star shared a photo on his Instagram Stories of a private jet with the caption "Get me to God’s country" written over it.
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Wallen later addressed the incident, claiming there was no ill-will. I was just ready to go home," Wallen said while appearing on comedian Caleb Pressley’s podcast. "I've been there all week."
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Most recently, Wallen flipped over a piano onstage after the equipment malfunctioned mid-show, and days later, snatched a phone from a security guard and threw it across the stage.
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Two days later, Wallen canceled his Pittsburgh show on Saturday due to poor weather conditions, amid online speculation that he dipped out of town before local officials confirmed the cancellation.
"This morning, my team walked on my bus and told me they had been consulting with local officials and that I should cancel my show in Pittsburgh tonight, and I said, ‘Why?’" said in the video posted to his Instagram Stories.
"They said that there was going to be strong winds in the area, and I said, ‘OK.’ So, that is what I did and that was the information I had in the moment, and I trusted my team," he continued. "I understand that wind hasn't gotten to Pittsburgh yet ... The truth of the matter is, I have a large stage that, in those conditions, could become fatal to a lot of folks around it. So, I did the best I could with the information I had in that moment."
"I’ve been seeing a lot of nonsense about me that is simply not true, and I just wanted to clear the air," he added. "I think my true fans know that that’s not how I operate in general, but I had to say it. Ya'll take care."
Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this post.