The country star raised eyebrows Sunday night when he made a quick exit during Saturday Night Live’s closing credits, bypassing the customary cast gathering after his performance. Cameras captured Wallen exchanging a brief, one-armed hug with host Mikey Day before striding offstage—a move that left cast members Ego Nwodim and Kenan Thompson exchanging puzzled glances.
Fans quickly speculated about tension, especially after Wallen posted an Instagram Story of a private jet with the caption “Get me to God’s country.” However, a source close to the singer tells TMZ the exit was simply a misunderstanding: Wallen had used the same offstage path all week during rehearsals and mistakenly thought the show had wrapped.
The moment revived memories of Wallen’s complicated history with SNL. In 2020, he was initially disinvited as musical guest after violating COVID protocols by partying maskless in Alabama. He returned two months later, with the show even joking about the controversy in a sketch.
While Sunday’s awkward exit may have been unintentional, it’s already become the latest talking point in Wallen’s headline-making career.
