ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel offered a late apology on Tuesday after Fox News revealed that the nightly host had repeatedly used the “N-word” while posing as Snoop Dogg in a parody of the song in the 1990s. Kimmel had already He has been criticized for using blackface in various parodies earlier in his career.
“For a long time I have been reluctant to tackle this, as I knew that doing so would be celebrated as a victory by those who equate apology with weakness and encourage leaders who use prejudice to divide us. That delay was a mistake. There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who were really hurt or offended by the makeup I used or the words I said, “Kimmel told Fox News in a statement Tuesday.
JIMMY KIMMEL USED ‘N-WORD’ AT THE IMITATION SNOOP SONG IN 1996, REPRESENTED THE COMIC GEORGE WALLACE IN 2013: AUDIO
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The namesake had long been criticized for turning black when posing as NBA legend Karl Malone, but other routines have recently come to light, such as imitating rapper Snoop Dogg’s voice for a song full of ” N-word “in a 1996 Christmas album.
In the Christmas song, a singer mentioned a “fat n —- on a sled giving away,” referring to Santa Claus. The song also referred to “n —– in the manger,” including King Herod’s associates.
“We hired makeup artists to make me look as much like Karl Malone as possible. I never considered that this could be seen as more than an imitation of a human being, one that had nothing more to do with Karl’s skin color than with his bulging muscles and bald head. I have made dozens of impressions of famous people, including Snoop Dogg, Oprah, Eminem, Dick Vitale, Rosie, and many others. In each case, I thought of them as celebrity personifications and nothing more, “Kimmel said in the statement.
“Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing, and it is frustrating that these thoughtless moments have become a weapon used by some to lessen my criticism of social and other injustices,” he added.
Kimmel said it has changed over the years and “anyone who sees” his program can attest that it has evolved.
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“I know this will not be the last time I hear about this and that it will be used again to try to calm me down. I love this country too much to allow that, ”added Kimmel’s statement. “I will not be intimidated by those who simulate outrage to advance their oppressive and genuinely racist agendas.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to explain and I am sorry to those who have disappointed me,” he said.
Kimmel abruptly announced last Thursday that she will be taking the summer off to spend more time with her family. He has been chosen to host the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards. To conclude the statement, he said that his next vacation was planned in advance and that he will return to work in September.
Fox News’s Gregg Re and Melissa Roberto contributed to this report.
