MORGAN Wallen's ‘tension' and ‘iciness' with the Saturday Night Live cast in rehearsals has been revealed – with one cast member hinting the singer had on-set ‘meltdowns.'
Country star Morgan, 31, left fans confused following his abrupt stage departure during the closing credits of SNL over the weekend.
Sources say the move wasn't just an innocent misstep, but the final beat of a tense week in which both the Up Down hitmaker and the show's cast maintained a noticeable distance.
Chloe Fineman even appeared to acknowledge the speculation, liking a Deuxmoi Instagram post that suggested Morgan had difficulties behind the scenes.
According to production sources, Morgan’s time on set was marked by a frosty atmosphere.
One told Rob Shuter's Substack, “Tension backstage, cold shoulders from cast, and zero laughs, Morgan only showed up to sell records — not to make friends.”;
It is customary for the musical guest to remain on stage during the farewell segment, engaging with the cast.
However, he exited quickly after offering a brief one-armed hug to host Mikey Madison – thought to be an intentional move.
And, during the closing credits, Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim were seen exchanging puzzled glances as Morgan left the stage before the show had fully wrapped.
The insider continued to claim, “Let’s be honest, Morgan didn’t want to be there, and the cast didn’t want him there either.”;
“The cast kept their distance. No one went out of their way to talk to him, and he felt it. The vibe was icy, and it never warmed up.”;
Another source added, “The cast can be elite and cliquey — and Morgan doesn’t find them funny anyway. He came to promote the album, maybe check a box, and bounce.”;
Shortly after the episode aired, he appeared to reference his experience in an Instagram Story of his private jet, captioned, “Get me to God’s country.”;
COMPLICATED HISTORY
Morgan’s relationship with SNL has been fraught since 2020, when he was dropped from a scheduled performance after being seen partying without a mask during the height of COVID-19.
He was invited back two months later, but sources say any goodwill from that second chance has since disappeared.
While this week’s tensions are thought not to be linked to past controversies, Morgan's 2021 racial slur incident continues to cast a shadow on him.
At the time, he acknowledged his mistake, saying, “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 apologise for using the word. I promise to do better.”
However, some cast members remain unwilling to move past it.
One of the sources said, “It wasn’t about cancel culture — it was about chemistry. He knew he wasn’t welcome. And frankly, he didn’t care.”;
The Tennessee-native has had a meteoric rise in the last few years and is now one of the biggest stars in country music.
He's released three studio albums, the latest of which was 2023's One Thing at a Time.
Morgan's got another in the pipeline too, with I'm the Problem set for release in May.
He's picked up numerous awards for his work, including a Country Music Association (CMA) Award, 15 Billboard Music Awards, and multiple Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards.
