Ryan Pfluger for Variety
In the June 30 episode of Cannon’s Class, the actor and TV host interviewed Professor Griff, a rapper who was a part of Public Enemy before leaving the group after making anti-Semitic remarks.
On the podcast, Cannon said Black people are the “true Hebrews” and talked about anti-Semitic conspiracy theories involving the Rothschild family.
“It’s never hate speech, you can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people,” Cannon said. “When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.”
A ViacomCBS spokesperson released a statement to Variety, saying that the company’s relationship with Cannon is now terminated.
“ViacomCBS condemns bigotry of any kind and we categorically denounce all forms of anti-Semitism. We have spoken with Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast ‘Cannon’s Class’ on YouTube, which promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him. We are committed to doing better in our response to incidents of anti-Semitism, racism, and bigotry. ViacomCBS will have further announcements on our efforts to combat hate of all kinds,” the company said.
On Monday, July 13, Cannon said on Twitter and Facebook that he has “no hate in my heart nor malice intentions” and doesn’t condone hate speech. He also said that he holds himself “accountable for this moment” and takes full responsibility for his actions.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have no hate in my heart nor malice intentions. I do not condone hate speech nor the spread of hateful rhetoric. We are living in a time when it is more important than ever to promote unity and understanding.
— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) July 13, 2020
Until then, I hold myself accountable for this moment and take full responsibility because My intentions are only to show that as a beautiful human species we have way more commonalities than differences, So let’s embrace those as well as each other. We All Family!🙏🏾
— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) July 13, 2020
Late on Tuesday and well into the early hours of Wednesday, the host began retweeting scores of messages of support from fans, some of whom condemned ViacomCBS for severing ties with Cannon and expressed concern for the future of long-running MTV sketch comedy series Wild ‘N Out, which Cannon has hosted since its 2005 debut and recent expansion to sister network VH1. Cannon also retweeted a number of his critics who called him the N-word.
He later issued a lengthy statement on Facebook, demanding an apology from ViacomCBS as well as full ownership of “Wild ‘N Out.”
The host has had a relationship with Viacom since he was an audience warm-up artist and actor on Nickelodeon in the ’90s, appearing in All That and his own show, The Nick Cannon Show, and into the 2000s with Wild ‘N Out. He later became chairman of Nickelodeon’s TeenNick cable channel. More recently, he’s been known as the host of The Masked Singer on Fox and hosted America’s Got Talent on NBC from 2009-2016. He’s also launching a syndicated daytime talk show in September with Debmar-Mercury.
From Variety:
Nick Cannon Demands Full Ownership of ‘Wild ‘N Out,’ Says ViacomCBS on ‘Wrong Side of History’
UPDATED: Actor and TV host Nick Cannon has struck back at ViacomCBS, hours after he was dropped by the media giant for making anti-Semitic comments on his podcast.
Cannon has asked for ownership of his MTV and VH1 series “Wild ‘N Out,” as well as an apology from the company.
In a lengthy statement posted to his Facebook page early Wednesday, Cannon wrote, “If I have furthered the hate speech, I wholeheartedly apologize. But now I am the one making demands. I demand full ownership of my billion dollar ‘Wild ‘N Out’ brand that I created, and they will continue to misuse and destroy without my leadership! I demand that the hate and back door bullying cease and while we are at it, now that the truth is out, I demand the Apology!”
In the post, which is titled ‘Truth and Reconciliation,’ Cannon began by noting he is “deeply saddened in a moment so close to reconciliation that the powers that be, misused an important moment for us to all grow closer together and learn more about one another.”
“Instead the moment was stolen and highjacked [sic] to make an example of an outspoken black man. I will not be bullied, silenced, or continuously oppressed by any organization, group, or corporation. I am disappointed that Viacom does not understand or respect the power of the black community,” he continued.
The performer alleges that ViacomCBS recently banned “all advertisement [sic] that supported George Floyd and Breonna Taylor who we are still seeking justice for.” Cannon also claims he personally reached out to ViacomCBS chair Shari Redstone “to have a conversation of reconciliation and actually apologize if I said anything that pained or hurt her or her community,” and received no response.
ViacomCBS claims that Cannon did not attempt to connect with Redstone. “It is absolutely untrue that Nick Cannon reached out to the Chair of ViacomCBS,” a ViacomCBS spokesperson told Variety. In regard to the claim about ads related to the deaths of Floyd and Taylor, the ViacomCBS rep directed Variety to a statement in a July 12 Wall Street Journal story, in which a company spokesperson said that the ad block was related to ta show called “Revenge Prank,” and that “we didn’t want to be insensitive by placing ads for it next to important and serious topics, such as Black Lives Matter. This is standard practice we use with our media agency to ensure that our ads don’t come across as tone-deaf or disrespectful.”
Cannon goes on to list his achievements over the last 20 years, including executive producing and hosting Fox’s “The Masked Singer.”
“My hope and original goal was to use this moment to show healing and acceptance and prayed that Viacom would use their powers for good. Instead I am now receiving death threats, hate messages calling me an ungrateful [N—] and beyond,” said Cannon, who was retweeting messages of support from fans as well as critics calling him the N-word well into the early hours of Wednesday.
“Viacom’s goal to keep me from providing for my family and lineage will be foiled. They can try to kick me while I’m down or force me to kiss the master’s feet in public for shame and ridicule, but instead I stand firm on my square with my fist in the air repeating my mantra, ‘You can’t fire a Boss!'”
In his statement, Cannon also highlighted an “outpouring of love and support from the Jewish community,” noting he has spoken with “Rabbis, clergy, Professors and coworkers” who have offered to help him.
“l am excited to announce that I have been invited to Israel which is a lifelong dream where I will receive teachings, lessons and truth about the Jewish history,” said Cannon. “As someone who is in pursuit for my PHD in Theology and Divinity and just received a degree in Criminal Justice from the Great Howard University, this will be an enriching, enlightening and overall exciting trip!”
A ViacomCBS spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that it was severing ties with Cannon after it emerged that the performer had said on his podcast that Black people are the “true Hebrews” in addition to discussing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories involving the Rothschild family.
“ViacomCBS condemns bigotry of any kind and we categorically denounce all forms of anti-Semitism. We have spoken with Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast ‘Cannon’s Class’ on YouTube, which promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories,” said the company in a statement shared with Variety.
“While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him. We are committed to doing better in our response to incidents of anti-Semitism, racism, and bigotry. ViacomCBS will have further announcements on our efforts to combat hate of all kinds,” the company said.”
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