Morgan Wallen Snubs "Saturday Night Live" Sketch, Prompting Joe Jonas' Last-Minute Heroics, Source Reveals to Page Six
Morgan Wallen reportedly refused to participate in a sketch on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, prompting Joe Jonas to step in at the eleventh hour and save the day, a source exclusively told Page Six.
"Wallen was invited but declined, so they roped in Joe instead," the insider disclosed. The 31-year-old singer behind the hit "Whiskey Glasses" was reportedly "far from being on amicable terms" while on set."They harbored hopes that he would do the pre-tape and perhaps even more, but their wishes went unfulfilled," the source claimed.
We're informed that Wallen "fulfilled his obligation" by performing as the musical guest, but that was the extent of his engagement. "He did the same thing for the dress rehearsal, namely walking off; he was done and dusted," the insider shared, referring to the now-infamous moment when Wallen abruptly vacated the stage during the episode's closing credits.
The sketch in question featured "SNL" cast members Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang, and Sarah Sherman, along with Saturday's guest host Mikey Madison, belting out a tune about the absurdity of queueing in New York City. Dubbed "Big Dumb Line," the song included a guest appearance from the 35-year-old Jonas Brothers member, who exhorted the others to "believe in yourself" and "believe in the line."
"You deserve this viral Greek yogurt or to taste Lisa Rinna's wine. So don't throw in the towel. The rewards will be magnificent. Did Amelia Earhart throw in the towel? I'm hazy on how that pans out. But she wants you to…," he sang. The chorus then picked up with the cast chanting, "Wait in a big, chunky line."
It remains a mystery why Wallen turned down the offer, and his representative didn't immediately respond to Page Six's request for comment. We also reached out to Jonas' representative. A spokesperson for the NBC sketch comedy series declined to offer any remarks.
The controversial country music star made headlines this weekend for bolting the stage as the credits rolled instead of socializing with the cast, as musical guests and hosts have traditionally done in the past. After giving Madison, 26, a perfunctory one-armed hug, he ignored the comedians onstage and exited down the aisle, out of camera view.
He also reportedly skipped the afterparty, boarding a private jet early Sunday, prompting fans to ponder whether Wallen had a beef with any of the actors on set. A source told TMZ that Wallen's swift exit was unintentional and that he had "entered and exited the studio in the same manner… during rehearsal and camera blocking all week leading up to the live show."
"He habitually headed that way when he thought it was time to bolt," the insider maintained. Despite the slip-up, NBC sources confirmed that there was "no animosity" between the show creators and Wallen, and that he would be welcome back as a musical guest in the future.
"Saturday Night Live" airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC every Saturday.
