Nick Cannon has been fired by the American media giant ViacomCBS for “hate speech and anti-Semitism” after a podcast in which he called whites and Jews “true savages.”
Cannon, which features shows from ViacomCBS, including Wild ‘n’ Out, sparked controversy after posting a conversation on his YouTube channel with former Public Enemy member Professor Griff. The interaction saw Cannon claim that white and Jewish people in positions of power have a “lack of compassion” since they don’t have melanin on their skin.
“They act out of fear, they act out of low self-esteem, they act out of a deficiency,” Cannon said. “So therefore, the only way they can act is evil. They have to steal, steal, rape, kill to survive. So these people who did not have what we have, and when I say that I am talking about melancholic people, they had to be wild … They act like animals. So they are actually the closest to the animals. They really are the real savages. “
Download the new Independent Premium app
Share the full story, not just the headlines
He continued: “I say all that, the context in which we spoke, be it Jewish people, white people, Europeans, the Illuminati, they were doing it as survival tactics to stay on the planet. We never had to do that. “
Cannon also said that blacks are “the true Hebrews” and referred to a number of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, including “the Rothschilds, centralized banking, the 13 families, the bloodlines that control everything even outside the United States.” He also condemned “giving too much power to the ‘they’,” adding: “And then the ‘they’ become the Illuminati, the Zionists, the Rothschilds.”
In a statement, CBSViacom said they were ending their relationship with Cannon.
“While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply concerned that Nick has not recognized or apologized for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are ending our relationship with him.”
After a backlash prior to the video, Cannon condemned the hate speech on his Facebook page and denied having “hated on [his] heart or malicious intent. “In a separate interview with Fast companyHowever, he declined to apologize for his statements on YouTube.
“Are you forcing me to say the words ‘I’m sorry’?” I ask. “Are you making me prostrate because, again, that would perpetuate that same rhetoric that we are trying to get away from? What we need is healing. What we need is discussion. Correct me. I don’t tell my children to say ‘I’m sorry’. I want you to understand where they should be corrected. And that’s how we grow. “
Cannon, who has two children with his ex-wife Mariah Carey, also presents the American version of The masked singerand previously presented America has talent.
.
