Morgan Wallen finally addressed why he was itching to get back to “God’s country” when he hosted Saturday Night Live in March.
Wallen was asked about the moment he abruptly walked off the stage during the show’s traditional good night sequence as he appeared on Sundae Conversation with Caleb Pressley.
The country music star claimed no one on the show “made him mad” to cause the walk out. “No, I was just ready to go home,” he said, “I’d been there all week.”
Wallen’s casual explanation for the viral moment comes after he seemed to double down on his dissatisfaction with being in New York for the show by posting “Get me to God’s country,” to Instagram soon after it wrapped.
The perceived attitude behind the social media comment deepened speculation that Wallen felt slighted somehow during his week hosting the show.
Long-time SNL cast member Kenan Thompson said Wallen must be a “complicated individual” when he was asked for his thoughts on why the singer exited without saying goodbye. “I don’t know what goes through people’s minds when they decide to do stuff like that,” Thompson told Entertainment Weekly.
As for Wallen’s social media post in the aftermath, Thompson said, “The ‘God’s country’ of it all is strange because it’s like, what are you trying to say? You trying to say that we are not in God’s country?”
Social media roasted Wallen’s post, with one of the show’s writers even getting in on the joke.
Wallen parlayed the internet moment into merchandise sales, signaling that despite his lack of comment on his stage exit, he was hyper aware of the internet chatter. He didn’t admit as much during his podcast interview on Sunday. Pressley joked to Wallen, “You needed to get your plane,” to which he replied simply, “Yeah.”
The post SNL Host Reveals Why He Abruptly Walked Off Set appeared first on The Daily Beast.