‘SNL’: Morgan Wallen Spotted Leaving Hotel Ahead of Second Chance Performance

Morgan Wallen was spotted leaving his hotel room in New York City on Friday, despite his promise to take COVID-19 seriously amid his second chance at SNL. Wallen was scheduled to perform as Saturday Night Live‘s musical guest back in October but was dropped when social media showed him risking exposure to the coronavirus. Now, with his second chance at the gig, all eyes are on Wallen.

Reporters from TMZ spotted Wallen leaving his hotel in NYC on Friday, hours before his performance. The photographer asked Wallen how he was staying safe before the gig, and he said he “ain’t leaving the damn hotel.” Obviously, Wallen was contradicting himself at that moment, although he was wearing a face covering and keeping his distance from other pedestrians. Asked if the cast was treating him well, he said: “Oh yeah, they’re good to me.”

Wallen was supposed to make his SNL debut in October, but at the time, he was caught on various videos from a concert in Alabama was ignored all coronavirus safety measures. He was seen sharing drinks, standing in packed, indoor crowds and even kissing people just days before he was supposed to be on SNL. Since New York City was ravaged by the coronavirus early on, the producers could not risk letting Wallen into the building.

This time around, Wallen is apparently sticking to his hotel and the studio for rehearsals. The TMZ cameraman filmed him climbing into a car with others and driving off, hopefully to the 30 Rockefeller Center and nowhere else.

Wallen joins this week’s host Jason Bateman for a show that many fans have been eagerly awaiting. The comedy show did an all-out marathon of new episodes every week in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, and now they are back from their well-earned break. Fans expect the show to comment on President Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories about the election and other fallout that has come since.

However, when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, many fans are split on how SNL handles it. While the show is careful to encourage mask-wearing and other forms of protection, the fact that it is still in production at all rubs many the wrong way. Some would rather the show take a season off if they really want to set a good example. SNL airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.