Kenan Thompson Speaks Out About Morgan Wallen’s Abrupt ‘SNL’ Exit: ‘Whatever’
The popular sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live has been around for 50 years. And during that time, it’s had its share of controversies. The show made headlines once again after Mikey Madison hosted the March 29 sketches; however, she wasn’t the reason for the headlines. Rather, it was special guest Morgan Wallen who created controversy (again).
Wallen abruptly left the stage as the credits rolled, which isn’t the usual way of making an exit. And Kenan Thompson, a longtime star of SNL, recently gave his thoughts on the matter.
Kenan Thompson reveals what he thought of Morgan Wallen’s ‘SNL’ exit
The show went according to plan, but when the credits began to roll, Wallen could be seen whispering something to Mikey Madison then, giving her a brief hug before exiting the stage. Typically, SNL special guests remain on stage, shake hands, and chat with cast members while the credits roll. Immediately following his departure, Wallen posted an Instagram story of a private jet with the caption, “Get me to God’s country.” It quickly circulated on social media, creating confusion about what really happened and why Wallen made such a quick exit.
Kenan Thompson appeared on Good Day New York on March 31 to discuss some upcoming projects — including another potential “Good Burger” film — but he also gave his thoughts on Wallen’s disappearance.
“I don’t know if he understood the assignment,” Thompson said, laughing. Thompson was then shown a photo of what appeared to be his confused face as Wallen walked off stage. He joked that “Ego was the one giving the side eye” in the meme of his facial expression that started to go viral after Wallen’s exit, referring to Ego Nwodim, who was in the photo with him.
“I have no idea,” Thompson admitted when asked about the “back story” behind the situation. “Apparently, I guess he didn’t know to stay, or something like that … Whatever, it doesn’t matter. It was a great show.” Thompson then praised Madison’s hosting skills.
Morgan Wallen has caused controversy in the past
This isn’t Wallen’s first rodeo when it comes to internet controversy. He took time away from the spotlight back in 2021 after he was caught using a racial slur on camera. Then, in 2024, Wallen threw a chair from a rooftop bar in Nashville, which came close to hitting a group of police officers.
Wallen is no stranger to finding himself in the news these days, and while much of it is for his songwriting praise, there have absolutely been some red flags on his record for a number of controversies. Wallen was scheduled to appear on SNL back in October 2020 but was caught violating covid-19 protocols and was pulled from the show’s lineup.
