A number of country music stars have spoken out and the Academy of Country Music officials block the 'Dangerous' star from this year's awards following his N-word scandal.
- Feb 4, 2021
AceShowbiz - Maren Morris and Jason Isbell have joined the ranks of the country music stars bashing Morgan Wallen for using a racial slur on camera.
The singer has apologised for carelessly uttering the N-word during a night out on Sunday (31Jan21), but it's too little too late for some - the singer, who is currently at the top of the U.S. albums chart, has been suspended from his record deal and his music has been pulled from radio stations.
Black country star Mickey Guyton and Kelsea Ballerini have already slammed Wallen, and now Morris is weighing in, calling out the country music industry's executives for supporting the controversial star, who last year (20) was forced to pull out of a performance on "Saturday Night Live" following an ill-advised maskless appearance at a party.
The "My Church" singer blasts, "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. We all know it wasn't his first time using that word. We keep them rich and protected at all costs with no recourse."
Meanwhile, Isbell rages, "Wallen's behavior is disgusting and horrifying. I think this is an opportunity for the country music industry to give that spot to somebody who deserves it, and there are lots of black artists who deserve it."
In his apology, Wallen told TMZ, "I'm embarrassed and sorry. 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."
Cassadee Pope has also spoken out, tweeting, "Let me reiterate. The news about Morgan that broke does not represent 'ALL' of country music. As you can see, it represents some. It's disgraceful has to change (sic)."
Meanwhile, Academy of Country Music officials have ruled the singer ineligible for this year's awards show.
The ACM announced its decision on Wednesday afternoon, stating, "The Academy does not condone or support intolerance or behavior that doesn't align with our commitment and dedication to diversity and inclusion... As a result of this unprecedented situation, the Academy will be reviewing our awards eligibility and submission process, ensuring our nominees consistently reflect the Academy's integrity."
Wallen's music can still be found on Spotify and Apple Music, but he has been removed from every playlist except his own. CMT and the Country Music Association have also taken Wallen-related content off their platforms.
