Morgan Wallen Dropped by WME, His Booking Agent, After Using Racist Slur
The fallout from Morgan Wallen's use of the N-word continues. Just under 48 hours after TMZ published video of the country singer hurling the racist slur at a friend, talent-booking agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) has dropped Wallen from their roster.
Billboard reports the news via an unnamed source, noting that WME offered no official comment. The company was responsible for helping to secure public appearances for Wallen, including tour dates. According to Billboard, Wallen had been planning a North American arena tour to run in late 2021 and early 2022, as well as a European tour, prior to his near-total ostracization from the country music industry.
Less than 24 hours after the damning video — which was captured by a neighbor and shows Wallen arriving home after a night out and using the N-word as he says goodbye to a friend — was first made public on Tuesday evening (Feb. 2), Wallen had his record deal suspended indefinitely, and many radio companies pulled his music from their stations. While Wallen's music can still be found on Spotify and Apple Music, he's been removed from every playlist except his own.
SiriusXM and Pandora axed his music from their services, and CMT and the Country Music Association have also taken Wallen-related content off their platforms. The Academy of Country Music, meanwhile, deemed Wallen ineligible for nomination at or inclusion in any way in the 2021 ACM Awards.
The response from some artists has also been swift and decisive. Mickey Guyton, Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris immediately denounced the use of the N-word — or any racist slur — in any context.
"I'm embarrassed and sorry. I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back," Wallen said in a statement to TMZ. "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."
Within the last year, Wallen has been arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct outside of Kid Rock's bar in Nashville and lost his spot as a performer on Saturday Night Live after violating the show's COVID-19 protocols by partying with University of Alabama students, maskless, only a few days before his scheduled appearance on the late-night sketch comedy TV show. Wallen issued public apologies both times; a judge declined to prosecute him on the charges, and he was invited back to SNL two months later.
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