Maren Morris and Son Received Death Threats After Calling Out Morgan Wallen for Racial Slur

 

Maren Morris revealed that she and her 4-year-old son, Hayes, were subjected to death threats after she criticized fellow country singer Morgan Wallen for using a racial slur in 2021.

In a recent episode of Sophia Bush’s “Work in Progress” podcast, Morris, 34, opened up about the frightening experience, saying, “As a young mother, the death threats were obviously very scary.” She added, “It wasn’t just threats against me; they were targeting my son, too. It’s shocking when they bring children into it—kids they supposedly care so much about.”

Morris, who publicly came out as bisexual in June, shares her son with ex-husband Ryan Hurd. The couple finalized their divorce in January.

The controversy began in February 2021 when Wallen was caught on video using the N-word during a night out in Nashville. The "Whiskey Glasses" singer, 31, was heard saying, "Take care of this pussy ass n—-r" as he returned home with friends. Wallen later expressed regret, saying, “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.”

Morris was among several artists who condemned Wallen’s behavior at the time. In a tweet, she pointed out that Wallen’s actions reflected broader issues in the country music industry. “It actually IS representative of our town because this isn’t his first ‘scuffle’ and he just demolished a huge streaming record last month regardless,” she wrote. “We all know it wasn’t his first time using that word. We keep them rich and protected at all costs with no recourse.”

During the podcast, Morris reflected on the backlash she received for speaking out, noting how some people took her comments personally. “I think it’s because they’re not just defending the person who said this—they’re taking it as if I’m criticizing them,” she said. “That reaction says a lot more about their interpretation of criticism than it does about me.”

Despite the threats and backlash, Morris remains firm in her stance. “I don’t regret it, I don’t apologize,” she stated. “I feel the exact same way as I did that day. Don’t be racist. Don’t be transphobic. Don’t be homophobic.”

Morris has long been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, despite facing criticism from many conservative country music fans. In 2022, she famously clashed with Brittany Aldean, the wife of fellow country star Jason Aldean, after Brittany made controversial remarks about gender identity. Morris responded by calling out what she saw as harmful misinformation, earning her both praise and criticism.

The ongoing tension within the country music community eventually led Morris to announce in September 2023 that she was stepping back from the genre, saying she felt it was “burning itself down.” However, two months later, she clarified that she wasn’t leaving country music entirely, telling Jimmy Fallon, “You can’t, like, scrub the country music out.”

You can find concert, theatre, sport tickets here https://geturtix.com/performers/maren-morris and here https://geturtix.com/performers/morgan-wallen

Don't forget to use our special promo code - GTIX20 

20% off. No limit