Morgan Wallen admitted he used the n-word in the past with a “certain group of friends,” after a video leaked of him using the racial slur earlier this year.
“I wouldn’t say [I’ve used it] frequently,” the 28-year-old country singer shared during an interview with “Good Morning America” on Friday. “Not frequently … It was just around this certain group of friends.” (RELATED: CMT Scrubs Morgan Wallen’s ‘Appearances,’ Record Label Says He’s ‘Suspended Indefinitely’ After Appearing To Use N-Word On Video)
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“In our minds, it’s playful, you know?” Wallen continued. “I don’t know if that sounds ignorant, but that’s really where it came from. It’s wrong … I didn’t mean it in any derogatory manner at all.”
A backlash ensued against Wallen in January after a video surfaced of him telling his friends to “take care of this p–y-ass n—a” when he had returned home from a night of partying. Wallen has admitted that he was “clearly drunk” amid the exchange. (RELATED: Country Music Legend Reacts To Video Of Morgan Wallen Using The N-Word: ‘It Doesn’t Have A Place’)
Wallen told “GMA” he entered a rehab facility for 30 days after the video leaked.
“I spent some time out in San Diego, California, you know, just trying to figure it out,” Morgan shared. “Why am I acting this way? Do I have an alcohol problem? Do I have a deeper issue?”
Country Music Television announced in February it was removing the singer’s appearances and music from their stations because of the slur, TMZ reported at the time.
Wallen later posted a video for fans apologizing for using the N-word and explained how he didn’t want fans to defend his “wrong” behavior.