Morgan Wallen breaks silence after racial slur controversy

Washington [US], February 11 : Country music star Morgan Wallen has finally broken his silence, taking ownership of his actions after he was captured using racial slur in a video.
On Thursday, the 27-year-old singer released a five-minute Instagram video addressing his use of the racial slur. He also urged fans not to defend him as he wants to "take ownership" of the offense.
He began his video by saying, "I'm long overdue to make a statement regarding my last incident. I wanted to collect my thoughts, seek some real guidance and come to you with a complete thought before I did."
According to the singer, the video that surfaced was taken during "a bender," which he said was "not something I'm proud of either."
Wallen said, "I let so many people down. I let my parents down and they're the furthest thing from the person in that video. I let my son down, and I'm not okay with that."
Wallen added, "So this week, I've been waiting to say anything further until I got the chance to apologize to those closest to me that I knew I personally hurt."
The singer went on to say that he's "accepted some invitations from some amazing Black organizations, some executives and leaders to engage in some very real and honest conversations."
He said, "I'll admit to you I was pretty nervous to accept those invitations. They had every right to step on my neck while I was down, to not show me any grace. But they did the exact opposite -- they offered me grace, and they also paired that with an offer to learn and to grow."
For Wallen, their "kindness really inspired me to dig deeper on how to do something about this. And one thing I've learned already and am specifically sorry for is that it matters my words matter. A word can truly hurt a person and in my core, it's not what I'm okay with."
Since the video, Wallen said he's heard "firsthand some personal stories from Black people that honestly shook me."
He further said, "I know what I'm going through this week doesn't even compare to some of the trials I heard about from them. I came away from those discussions with a deep appreciation for them and a clear understanding of the weight of my words. I wish the circumstances were different for me to learn these things, but I'm also glad it started the process for me to do so."
Wallen added that fans should not defend his actions. "I appreciate those who still see something in me and have defended me. But for today, please don't. I was wrong. I fully accept any penalties I'm facing," he said.
After the video of using the racial slur surfaced, Wallen was indefinitely suspended from his label and his songs were taken down from the two largest radio station groups iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media, along with SiriusXM, Pandora, and CMT, reported Variety.
As per the publication, the Academy of Country Music also announced that it will halt Wallen's involvement and eligibility at this year's awards show.
Wallen came under fire on February 2 after a video surfaced of him saying the N-word during a night out in Nashville. The actions against the 27-year-old singer have been swift, with his booking agency WME dropping him.
Wallen had previously issued a statement on Tuesday night after TMZ first reported the incident, saying, "I am embarrassed and sorry. I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better."
Wallen has a history of having used the N-word on social media, quoting rap lyrics. In 2012, he tweeted a lyric by rapper Meek Mill, "I burn bread I ain't talkin toast n---." (That tweet was deleted from Wallen's account on Wednesday morning.)