Nick Cannon takes time off podcast for 'reflection and education' after apologizing for anti-Semitic comments
Nick Cannon has announced that he will be stepping back from his radio show in order to take some time out for "reflection". Cannon was fired from ViacomCBS after he made anti-semitic comments on his podcast. In that backdrop, the popular host took to Twitter on Thursday, July 16, to reveal that he was taking time off from his 'Nick Cannon Mornings' show.
He shared that he would be focusing on "strengthening the bond between Black and Jewish cultures." Cannon said, "I have decided to take some time away from my radio show so I can commit myself to deeper, more thorough reflection and education." He added, "I will use this time to establish an action plan towards real, impactful change and advocacy aimed at bringing people together. I continue to express my gratitude to the Rabbis, community leaders and institutions who have reached out to me to help enlighten me."
However, Cannon will still retain his job as a host for Fox's reality competition 'The Masked Singer'. Fox also confirmed the same and said that he would continue hosting the popular celebrity singing show and believed his apology was sincere. The network released a statement, "He is clear and remorseful that his words were wrong and lacked both understanding and context, and inadvertently promoted hate. This was important for us to observe."
"Nick has sincerely apologized and quickly taken steps to educate himself and make amends. On that basis and given a belief that this moment calls for dialogue, we will move forward with Nick and help him advance this important conversation, broadly," the statement added. It is reported that Cannon who has been the host of the singing competition since it premiered in Jan 2019, makes around $70,000 per episode.
What he said
An audio clip of Cannon's podcast was shared on June 30 where he was slammed for supporting and even indulging in hate speech initiated by his guest Richard Griffin. He had also shared that it was a shame that Louis Farrakhan, who is a minister known for his history of anti-Semitic comments, had been silenced on Facebook. Cannon claimed that he hopes to debate the idea of giving so much power to the Jewish Community and said that with so much power, the Jewish community was turning into Illuminati, the Zionists, the Rothschilds. On the Nick Cannon Podcast, Cannon went on to add that African-American people are Semitic people by definition and that Semitic people are not white.
Reactions
Social media users slammed Fox for their decision. One such user wrote, "Racists, anti-semitic conspiracy theories have been ok at Fox for a while now." Another commented, "Nick Cannon is racist. You are ignoring his anti-white remarks. Nick is an idol to many young people and this is not the rhetoric we need today. Why are you ignoring this?"
Many social media users had demanded that Fox fire Cannon as a host. One such user had written, "Nick Cannon is a racist and anti-semite. Fox, please fire him this is unacceptable!!" Another added, "We demand that Fox remove Nick Cannon from The Masked Singer for his hateful, racist rhetoric. Cannon compared white people with animals and barbarians, referring to them as the “true savages" and wouldn't apologize when asked. Get moving Fox. We're waiting."
His announcement only hours after he had issued a public apology for his statements on the podcast, and also expressed his gratitude to the Jewish community for helping to enlighten him on his previous ignorant statements. We had earlier reported that Cannon had taken to his official Twitter handle to apologize. "I want to assure my Jewish friends, new and old, that this is only the beginning of my education—I am committed to deeper connections, more profound learning and strengthening the bond between our two cultures today and every day going forward," Cannon had written.
Many social media users were also skeptical of his apology and believed it had been forced and not sincere.