BobbyCast Recap: Jimmie Allen Chats About Reaching Out To Morgan Wallen After Racial Controversy

Allen is about education and accountibility. 

BobbyCast Recap: Jimmie Allen Chats About Reaching Out To Morgan Wallen After Racial Controversy
Jimmie Allen; Photo credit: John Shearer

Jimmie Allen joined Bobby Bones on the latest episode of his podcast, the BobbyCast, where the singer talked at length about the controversy surrounding Morgan Wallen after his use of the N-word. With regard to the incident, Allen shared that it’s incredibly important to him to speak out as one of the few Black artists in country music.

“My dad told me something before he died,” Allen told Bones. “He said, ‘Son, you are one of the few Black artists in country music. There’s not a lot of you in country. So, when things happen in country music that White people don’t understand, you are the person that they can reach out to that’s in the format, that has that point of view as a Black male in America. You have to accept that responsibility, whether you like it or not.’”

Allen takes that responsibility seriously, which is why when fellow country artist Morgan Wallen was caught on camera saying the racial slur, Allen took it upon himself to reach out to Wallen in a big way.

“After that happened, I reached out to him, and we talked every day until he left,” said Allen, not mentioning where Wallen went. “I just kept it 100. I said, ‘Bro, no matter how drunk you get, there’s three things we can’t do: you can’t say the F-word if you ain’t gay, you can’t say the N-word if you ain’t Black, and you can’t beat women.’ There’s three things.”

Allen says that, after the incident, he inserted himself into Wallen’s life to help him “become a better version” of himself. He and Wallen even addressed the 27-year-old’s alleged alcohol problem and “reckless behavior” that has landed him in controversy within the past year.

“He’s been a person the whole time with problems,” he says. “That’s me just wanting to address the problem and find ways to insert myself in other people’s life and help them be a better person just like people did to me.”

In the midst of reaching out to Wallen, Allen tweeted about forgiving the singer, which was criticized by many. Although Allen believes in offering Wallen redemption, he also agrees there should be consequences for his actions, which he says was missing from the singer’s past failings.

“There has to be consequences, and that’s the problem with his other outbursts or reckless behavior, there were never any consequences,” he says. “I feel like this whole situation could have been avoided if there would have been consequences for his other actions. But I’m glad that there’s consequences because you have to be held accountable for what you said.”

W​allen has stayed somewhat quiet since the incident, except for a written statement and a video apology issued later. Although the singer has taken a step back from the spotlight, his album, Dangerous: The Double Album, is currently spending its ninth week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In addition to sharing his perspective on the Morgan Wallen situation, Allen also chatted about his collaboration EP, Bettie James, his friendship with the late Kobe Bryant, and his upcoming children’s book, My Voice Is A Trumpet, out July 13.