Morgan Wallen asks fans to stop defending him for using racial slur: 'I fully accept any penalties I'm facing'
- Morgan Wallen posted a new apology video to Instagram.
- He said he was on "hour 72 of a 72-hour bender" when he was filmed shouting the N-word.
- The singer asked fans not to defend him: "I fully accept any penalties I'm facing."
Morgan Wallen has apologized and asked fans not to defend him in a new five-minute video posted to Instagram a week after he was caught on video using the N-word.
Wallen, 27, has been a rising star in the country-music scene but quickly lost support from all sides of the industry after TMZ published the footage of his using the slur. His label, Big Loud Records, suspended his record contract, and radio stations across the country have pulled his music from their playlists.
"The video you saw was me on hour 72 of a 72-hour bender, and that's not something I'm proud of either," Wallen said in the apology video.
The singer went on to say he had waited to elaborate on his initial statement because he wanted to make personal apologies to his family and seek guidance from "Black organizations and executives and leaders," with whom he said he'd spent the past week engaging in "real and honest conversations" about his behavior.
"I let so many people down," he said. "I let my parents down, and they're the furthest thing from the person in that video. And I let my son down, and I'm not OK with that. So this week, I've been waiting to say anything further until I got the chance to apologize to those closest to me that I knew I personally hurt."
He added: "This week, I heard firsthand some personal stories from Black people that honestly shook me. I came away from those discussions with a deep appreciation for them and a clearer understanding of the weight of my words. I wish the circumstances were different for me to learn these things, but I'm also glad it started the process for me to do so."
Wallen ended the video by saying he was nine days sober and by asking fans not to defend his actions.
"I appreciate those who still see something in me and have defended me," he said. "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 timing of my return is solely on me and the work I put in."
After Wallen was dropped by his label, Billboard reported that his radio airplay had slumped but that his music sales had surged by a huge 339%.
Earlier this week, Wallen's sister posted a statement to Instagram defending the singer. "Cancel culture is the worst thing that has come out of our digital world," she said. "It leaves no room for forgiveness and growth, in turn, leaving no opportunity for individuals who have made mistakes to learn from them."
You can watch the full video down below: