Country music artist Morgan Wallen sparked controversy during his Friday, June 5, 2026, performance at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when he snatched a phone from a security guard and threw it across the stage. The 33-year-old musician's actions were captured on video and circulated widely on social media in the days following the concert.
Fan-recorded footage posted to X shows Wallen walking toward a security guard who was holding a phone in the air to film his performance from the ground beneath the stage. The video depicts Wallen gesturing at the camera, apparently signaling for the filming to stop, before turning away to continue his performance. When the security guard continued recording, Wallen returned, grabbed the phone from her hands, and hurled it across the stage.
The fan who shared the video on social media offered context for the incident, stating that a concert attendee had handed their phone to security, which Wallen then took and threw. The episode represents the latest in a series of on-stage incidents during Wallen's Still the Problem Tour, which launched in April.
The phone-throwing incident occurred one day before Wallen was forced to cancel his second Pittsburgh show on Saturday, June 6, due to severe weather conditions. The artist addressed the cancellation through his Instagram Stories, explaining that after consulting with local officials and his team, safety concerns necessitated the decision.
"After talking with local officials and my team, there is no choice but to cancel tonight's show due to severe adverse weather conditions expected throughout the rest of the day and night," Wallen stated. "Safety for my fans and crew is the highest priority."
The Pittsburgh phone incident follows another moment of visible frustration during the tour's Denver, Colorado, stop one week earlier. At Empower Field at Mile High stadium, the "Last Night" performer was observed flipping a piano over mid-performance, reportedly due to technical difficulties with the instrument. Wallen later addressed the piano incident on TikTok four days afterward, posting a sarcastic video in which he remarked that the piano was working properly that evening, adding that was what he had been told the previous night as well.
This is not the first time Wallen has dealt with phone-related issues during performances. In 2024, social media footage appeared to show a phone being thrown at the singer while he was on stage in Denver during his One Night at a Time Tour.
The country music star has generated significant media attention over the years due to various controversies. In May 2020, he was arrested outside of Kid Rock's bar in Nashville for public intoxication and disorderly conduct, though the charges were later cleared. Later that year, he faced criticism after being photographed without a face mask and kissing multiple women at college bars in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February 2021, TMZ published video footage of Wallen using a racial slur, prompting the artist to issue a public apology. His statement at the time acknowledged the severity of his actions and expressed remorse for using inappropriate language.
"I'm embarrassed and sorry. I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back," his statement read. "There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better."
Representatives for Wallen have not responded to requests for comment regarding the recent Pittsburgh incident. The Still the Problem Tour continues with additional dates scheduled throughout the summer.
