ABCOver the past couple of years, Morgan Wallen has been vocal about what a musical hero Eric Church is to him, even cutting “Quittin’ Time” — which Eric co-wrote — on his January release, Dangerous: The Double Album.

But in early February, video footage surfaced of Morgan at the end of a night of partying, hurling slurs such as the N-word as he said goodnight to a car full of friends.

In the following hours, Morgan’s promising arc toward country music superstardom came screeching to a halt. His record label suspended his contract, and his music was removed from a variety of radio networks and streaming services.

In his recent Billboard cover feature, Eric admitted how troubled he was by the younger singer’s actions.

“That was indefensible. I was heartbroken when it happened,” the “Hell of a View” star explained. “I think Morgan’s trying to work on that and on himself. And I hope he does.”

In an apology video uploaded to social media after the incident, Morgan offered some of the ways in which he’s trying to better himself. He revealed that he’d accepted invitations from Black organizations to educate himself and engage in honest conversation, and also noted that the video was filmed at the end of a 72-hour bender. At the time that he posted his apology, Morgan said, he had been sober for nine days.

While Eric was firm in speaking out against Morgan’s actions, he has empathy for the singer, too. He sent a note telling Morgan to keep “hanging in there,” adding that he’s been praying for him.

By Carena Liptak
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