AsMorgan Wallen’s popularity has exploded in the past year, he’s attracted a lot of labels — “outlaw,” “sex symbol,” “superstar,” — that havesometimes complicated his life. But there’s one label, he says, that “I have the easiest time accepting.”
That’s “dad.”
Morgan and Indie Wallen.Morgan Wallen/instagram
Looking back, the 27-year-old Tennessean admits to PEOPLE that being a single dad “is not how I imagined parenthood. I wanted to have a family like my parents. My parents are still together, you know. They raised [me and my sisters] together. That was my idea of what my life would look like. That’s not the way it turned out. And I struggled with that a little bit when I first found out.”
KT Smith and Morgan Wallen in 2017.Kevin Mazur/Getty
The singer admits he and Smith faced “some difficulties” in the early days of their co-parenting, but “the most important thing is he’s in our life now. He’s happy. He’s healthy. He’s incredible.”
Lesli, Morgan and Tommy Wallen.Morgan Wallen/Instagram
As he considers raising his son, Wallen admits to feeling a growing weight of responsibility. Indeed, in his Instagram birth announcement, he promised the boy: “I’ll be the Dad you deserve as well as the co-parent your mother deserves. Since you were born, I know every decision I make will be with you in mind. I promise I’ll always protect you and do my best to be an example of a good, godly man just like my daddy was for me.”
That promise was tested last Octoberwhen he was booted from theSaturday Night Livelineupafter online videos showed him defying COVID-19 protocols. Then, he kissed several young women during a weekend at the University of Alabama — an episode that underscored the power and pitfalls of his newly minted superstardom.
Indie Wallen dressed as Morgan for Halloween.Morgan Wallen/Instagram
Today, Wallen still holds tight to his high aspirations as a parent, knowing his role will soon become more challenging as Indie begins to talk and ask questions.
“I just hope to give him as sound advice as my parents gave me and show him love and let him know that I’m here for him and that I’m his friend,” Wallen says. “I’m here to help, and I’m here to guide. I’m just gonna try to do the best I can.”
That task, of course, will become more difficult when Wallen begins touring again. “My life will get a lot more hectic,” he allows. “I’ll probably have to hire a nanny or do something because I know that sometimes I’m not going to be able always to be as hands-on as I need to be. I still want to be as much a part of his life as I can, but I have obligations to fulfill to take care of him. I know that that’s on the horizon, so those thoughts are in my head, and I’m going to do the best I can to ensure that everything is as good as possible.”
In the meantime, he says he’s simply happy for his time with his son. “I think he’s going to be a great little dude,” Wallen says.
source: people.com
