Morgan Wallen says he used the N-word with a 'certain group' of friends to be 'playful'

Morgan Wallen
(Image credit: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for YouTube)

Country music star Morgan Wallen has given his first interview since he was caught on video saying the N-word, claiming he was trying to be "playful" with his friends and didn't mean to use the slur in a "derogatory manner."

Wallen spoke with Good Morning America on Friday to address the video that emerged in February of him using the N-word with a group of friends, which led his label to suspend him and radio stations to pull his music.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.