Morgan Wallen to Address Racism Controversy in First Interview Since Leak on ‘Good Morning America’

In a turn of events that should surprise absolutely no one, Morgan Wallen is getting a chance to apologize. The disgraced country singer is sitting down with host Michael Strahan on Friday’s episode of Good Morning America in order to discuss the video footage where he was caught using a racial slur while drunk and the backlash that ensued. “There’s going to be a lot of people who are going to watch this and say, ‘He’s only sitting down because he wants to clean up his image. It’s all a performance.’ So what do you say to that?” Strahan asks in the preview clip. “I understand that. I’m not ever going to make everyone happy,” Wallen replies. “I can only come tell my truth, and that’s all I know to do.”

While Wallen faced some backlash, the offending video hasn’t done much to derail his career in any lasting way. While the singer was banned from country music radio after he was caught using the N-word on tape five months ago, his music was quietly added back to the airwaves recently, pe Variety. Wallen came under fire earlier this year after he was seen on tape saying the N-word while on a night out with his friends in Nashville. He later apologized for using such language.

Variety reported that Wallen’s songs have been played on stations owned by iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, Cox Media, TownSquare Media, and other major chains across the country. The publication reported that it is believed that the executives at these companies have allowed the respective stations to choose whether to play Wallen’s music. Their view on the matter is reportedly along the lines of “make your own decision. If you’re comfortable with putting his music on the radio and think the guy has been on the sidelines long enough, that’s your call.” Variety did reach out to all of those aforementioned radio companies for a comment on their report. Although, they either did not hear back or shared that they had no update about the status of Wallen’s music on their stations.

Additionally, Wallen didn’t face a dip in record sales following his behavior. In fact, his fans pushed him to the top of the iTunes charts in the weeks following the video in a show of financial support. In response to the controversy, Wallen, pledged to meet with the NAACP chapter in Nashville following the incident, but its president told TMZ in May that he never did. NAACP Nashville president Sheryl Guinn told TMZ she reached out to Wallen about a meeting in February, and his representatives said the singer was interested in meeting to make amends. Both sides agreed to a meeting, which would have included other local Black leaders. They just needed to schedule the meeting. However, Guinn said Wallen’s team never reached out again to schedule the meeting. It never happened.