Morgan Wallen’s label, Big Loud Records, suspended the rising country star after he was caught on camera saying the N-word. “In the wake of recent events, Big Loud Records has made the decision to suspend Morgan Wallen’s recording contract indefinitely,†the label wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “Republic Records fully supports Big Loud’s decision and agrees such behavior will not be tolerated.†Wallen has yet to be fully dropped by the labels. He recently released Dangerous: The Double Album on Big Loud and Republic in January; it is currently No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the third week. Big Loud’s suspension of Wallen comes after multiple major radio networks, including iHeartMedia, Cumulus, and Entercom, instructed stations to stop playing Wallen’s music. CMT is also pulling Wallen from the channel.
Wallen apologized in a statement to TMZ after the outlet published a neighbor’s doorbell video of Wallen saying the N-word on January 31. “I’m embarrassed and sorry,†Wallen said. “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.†The singer, who broke streaming records for country music and won New Artist of the Year at the 2020 Country Music Association Awards, previously attracted controversy last fall, when his scheduled performance on Saturday Night Live was canceled after videos emerged of him partying without a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. He eventually performed on the show. Last May, he was arrested at Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.