Morgan Wallen goes on hiatus after N-word row, asks fans not to defend him in lengthy second apology video
Country singer Morgan Wallen continues to get a whole lot of backlash over his recent usage of a racist slur, but is issuing another apology which he says is "long overdue".
Wallen took to his social media on February 10 to update fans on his stance toward his offenses and reveal an indefinite hiatus he is planning to correct himself. "I wanted to collect my thoughts, seek some real guidance and come to you with a complete thought before I did," he said during the opening of the lengthy apology video.
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"I was made aware of the video being posted to TMZ with hardly any time to think before it was released to the public. I was asked if I wanted to apologize and of course I did. I wrote many detailed thoughts and only a portion of those got used which painted me in an even more careless light. I'm here to, hopefully, show you that that's not the truth. Obviously, the natural thing to do is to apologize further, just continue to apologize... but 'because you got caught,' and that's not what I wanted to do," he said.
Wallen says what he did is "just not fair" to those whom he let down. "I have let my parents down. And they're the furthest thing from the person in that video. I let my son down, and I'm not okay with that. So, this week I've been waiting to say anything further until I got a chance to apologize to those closest to me that I knew I personally hurt," he expressed.
"I also accepted some invitations from some amazing Black organizations, executives, and leaders to engage in some very real and honest conversations. I'll admit to y'all I was pretty nervous to accept those invitations. The very people I hurt, they had every right to step on my neck while I was down to not show me any grace but they did the exact opposite. They offered me grace and they also paired that with an offer to learn and to grow. And I'll be honest, that kindness really inspired me to dig deeper on how to do something about this."
Something he specifically apologized for is that his words hurt others and "it matters." He noted, "at my core it's not what I'm okay with."
"This week I heard firsthand some personal stories from Black people that honestly shook me. And I know what I'm going through this week doesn't even compare to some of the trials I heard about from them. I came away from those discussions with a deep appreciation for them and a clearer understanding of the weight of my words."
Wallen continued, "I've got many more things to learn but I already know that I don't want to add to any division. This week was a big lesson that sometimes we can do just that without even knowing. Our actions matter, our words matter, and I just want to encourage anyone watching to please learn from my mistake. There's no reason to downplay what I did. It matters, and please know I'm careful in choosing my next steps in repair."
"I want to end this update, hopefully, on a more positive note. Since that video was taken, I've been sober for nine days. It's not that long of a time but it's enough to know that the man in that video is not the man I'm trying to be. I've had this week to think about times when I was sober. And I'm really proud of who I am and my actions, for the most part, in those moments. When I look at the times that I'm not, it seems to be where the majority of my mistakes are made. So I've decided to go off the grid for a little while and get used to making good decisions."
"Who knows if I will be able to live down all the mistakes that I've made and I'm certainly going to try. I'm gonna spend some time, taking back control of my habits, living healthy, and being proud of my actions. And lastly, I have one favor to ask. I appreciate those who still see something in me and have defended me, but for today, please don't. I was wrong. It's on me. I take ownership for this, and I fully accept any penalties I'm facing. The time of my return is solely upon me and the work I put in."
"This entire situation is ugly right now but I keep searching for ways to become an example, instead of being made one. In closing, I'm not trying to be a holy roller or anything, but this week I remembered a passage from Paul that always stood out to me and I'm thinking a moment like this is why. In 1 Corinthians 13:11 it says 'When I was a child I spoke like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.' That's what I'm gonna be doing for the next little bit."