Darius Rucker says it’s time to forgive Morgan Wallen for using racial slur: He’s ‘become a better person’

Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker has implored the country music community to forgive Morgan Wallen for his racial slur controversy.

In February 2021, footage emerged of Wallen using the n-word. As a result, he was dropped by his record label and temporarily suspended from industry ceremonies including the Billboard Music Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMAs). He made a return the following year.

Wallen’s image as one of country music’s biggest superstars has remained tarnished despite him being one of the most commercially successful artists in the US.

“I think Morgan’s become a better person since that,” Rucker said on a new episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast. “I’ve known Morgan a long time. Since all that happened Morgan’s tried to really better himself and become a better person and see the world in a much better, better way.”

The “Last Night” singer, 31, has spent the last few years trying to repair his image. Two years after the incident, in 2023, Wallen spoke to Billboard apologizing for his transgressions.

“There’s no excuse. I’ve never made an excuse. I never will make an excuse,” he said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people, heard stories [about] things that I would have never thought about because I wasn’t the one going through it.”

Though Wallen has continued to dominate country music and his album Dangerous: The Double Album even won Album of the Year at the 2022 ACMAs, Rucker argues that the industry has still “not forgiven” Wallen.

“He’s still not out for CMAs and ACMs,” Rucker said. “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.”

Earlier this year, Wallen, who is preparing to make his British Summer Time (BST) debut on July 4 , was arrested and charged with three felony counts and one misdemeanor after allegedly throwing a chair off the roof of a six-story bar in Nashville, Tennessee.

He was later released after posting a bond of $15,250. He was scheduled to appear in court on May 3, but that has been postponed until August 15.

Wallen is currently on his One Night at a Time tour. Following his headlining BST performance, he will make his way back to the US, where he’ll play concerts in Tampa, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; Arlington, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri and Las Vegas, Nevada.

On August 28, he’ll return to Europe making stops in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland.