Country singer Morgan Wallen apologizes for saying N-word in leaked video: 'I'm embarrassed and sorry'
The 'Wasted On You' star came under fire last year for breaking COVID-19 protocols ahead of a 'SNL' performance
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Country singer Morgan Wallen has issued an apology after a video surfaced showing him using the N-word.
"I'm embarrassed and sorry," Wallen, 27, said in a statement shared with Fox News.
"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," he continued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wallen's remorse comes after TMZ posted a video of the "Wasted On You" singer's return home on Sunday night with a group of friends. The clip shows Wallen walking up his driveway as he refers to one of his friends as the N-word and uses other profanities.
In this image released on October 21, Morgan Wallen performs at Ruskin Cave in Dickson, Tennessee for the 2020 CMT Awards broadcast on Wednesday October 21. (John Shearer/CMT2020/Getty Images for CMT)
The country star and his pals were reportedly out in Nashville before returning to his home around midnight. TMZ reports the group was caught on camera by a neighbor who woke up to the noise of their conversation, as well as honking horns.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This isn't the first time the entertainer has been forced to apologize after being the subject of leaked footage. In the fall of 2020, the 27-year-old was blocked from a scheduled performance on "Saturday Night Live" after a video surfaced of Wallen at a crowded party without a mask amid the coronavirus pandemic.
He called the show's decision to pull him from the performance "tough" but "necessary."
"I respect the show's decision because I know that I put them in jeopardy," Wallen continued. "I take ownership of this. I'd like to apologize to 'SNL,' to my fans, to my team for bringing me these opportunities and I let them down."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MORGAN WALLEN PULLED FROM PERFORMING ON 'SNL' AFTER SINGER BROKE 'COVID PROTOCOLS'
Country singer Morgan Wallen announced on Instagram in July that he welcomed a son, Indigo Wilder, with his ex KT Smith. (Jason Kempin/ACMA2020/Getty Images for ACM)
He was, however, invited back two months later to perform on the show.
And back in May 2020, the "Whiskey Glasses" crooner was arrested after being kicked out of Kid Rock’s bar in downtown Nashville.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to The Tennessean, after Wallen was kicked out of the bar, he began getting into verbal fights with passersby on the streets, which officers watched. After reportedly refusing to walk away with his friends when given the opportunity by police, they determined Wallen was "a danger to himself and the public" and took him into custody.
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"Hey y’all just wanted to clear the air. I went out downtown last night with a few old friends," Wallen tweeted after the incident. "After a couple bar stops, we were horse-playing with each other. We didn't mean any harm, and we want to say sorry to any bar staff or anyone that was affected."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last July, Wallen welcomed a son, Indigo Wilder, with his ex KT Smith. Amid his headline-making year, the country singer admitted he has "some growing up to do."
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"I think I've lost myself a little bit. I've tried to find joy in the wrong places and it's left me with less joy," he said. "So I'mma go try to work on that. I'm gonna take a step back from the spotlight for a while and go work on myself."