Darius Rucker Says Morgan Wallen Deserves Forgiveness for Racial Slur

Darius Rucker believes Morgan Wallen deserves forgiveness following his racial slur controversy from three years ago.

In a recent interview with “Rolling Stone Music Now,” Rucker discussed Wallen’s growth since the February 2021 incident when TMZ posted a video of Wallen using a racial slur outside his Nashville home. Rucker, who is Black and formerly fronted Hootie & The Blowfish, remarked that Wallen has made efforts to become a better person since the event.

“I think Morgan’s become a better person since that,” Rucker said. He noted that Wallen’s attempts at personal improvement and enlightenment have been noticeable, although the singer is still not widely forgiven. Despite being one of the most successful country music artists, Wallen has faced snubs at major award events such as the ACMs, CMAs, and the Grammy Awards.

“He’s still not out for CMAs and ACMs. They can say what they want, but the fact that Morgan Wallen is not up for entertainer of the year and those things is crazy. No one’s selling more tickets than Morgan,” Rucker added.

In July 2021, Wallen sat down for an interview with Michael Strahan on “Good Morning America” to discuss his fallout from the incident, including his removal from radio stations, awards show ballots, and streaming playlists. Wallen admitted that he was ignorant about the weight of the slur and lacked the awareness to question its use.

However, controversies have continued to follow Wallen since the 2021 incident. Currently, on his “Morgan Wallen: One Night At A Time” 2024 tour, the singer faced legal trouble this spring. On April 7, Wallen was arrested in Nashville for allegedly throwing a chair from a downtown rooftop at Chief’s, a Music City venue and bar owned by his friend Eric Church.

In the following weeks, Wallen issued a public apology on X (formerly Twitter) addressing the incident. “I didn’t feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks,” he wrote. “I’ve touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief’s. I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility.”