Jimmie Allen has spoken out after Morgan Wallen experienced a swift — and necessary — fall from grace, following video surfacing of him uttering a racial slur. While Wallen has reaped consequences for his actions, including losing airplay on Cumulative Media and iHeartRadio stations, the removal of his music from CMT, and his contract with Big Loud Records suspended “indefinitely,” Allen says he is ready to offer forgiveness for Wallen’s hurtful words.
After first saying he needed to “take a few days to process” Wallen’s words, saying that “logical thoughts for me takes time,” Allen offered a generous olive branch to the troubled singer.
“Forgiveness is more powerful than abandonment. Our job as humans is to help each other be the best version of themselves,” Allen said in a tweet, adding, “It’s not about what is easiest….it’s about what is right. In order to receive forgiveness, we must give forgiveness.”
Forgiveness is more powerful than abandonment. Our job as humans is to help each other be the best version of themselves. ✊🏽🙏🏽🤙🏽
— Jimmie Allen (@JimmieAllen) February 6, 2021
It’s not about what is easiest….it’s about what is right. In order to receive forgiveness, we must give forgiveness. ✊🏽
— Jimmie Allen (@JimmieAllen) February 6, 2021
Allen also offered kind and gracious words following the tragic death of George Floyd, and the subsequent riots that followed.
“I always tell people, my job is to be persistent, patient and have compassion, because really that’s the only thing you can ever do,” Allen said on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. “Hopefully one day we can see each other as equals.”
Allen isn’t the only Black artist who has encouraged forgiveness towards Wallen. Mickey Guyton also spoke out after Wallen’s racial slur, condemning his words but offering hope for a hopeful redemption someday.
“I do not believe in cancel culture,” Guyton posted on social media. “Watching anyone fall from grace is a terrible thing to see. People must all be given a chance to change. Morgan must feel the weight of his words but completely throwing someone away is detrimental to anyone’s mental health.”
Wallen offered an apology in the immediate aftermath, but has yet to speak out since then. The Academy of Country Music has made Wallen ineligible to be nominated for any awards this year, while the Country Music Association, which recently named Wallen the CMA New Artist of the Year, said they were removing his content from all of their digital platforms, and would “confer further with our Board of Directors to review additional measures, and will continue to examine our industry’s inclusive efforts.”
Wallen was also dropped from his booking agent, WME.