Jimmy Fallon caught heat over a “Saturday Night Live” sketch from 2000 where he wears blackface as he impersonates Chris Rock.
Cancel Culture has had quite the week. After chopping down Lana Del Rey’s tree following her open letter, Doja Cat began to trend over allegations that she was anti-black. Now, The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon has found himself in trouble with the public after a Saturday Night Live skit that he participated in back in 2000 went viral. In it, Jimmy Fallon wears blackface to impersonate fellow SNL alum Chris Rock.
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Fallon didn’t waste any time with issuing a formal apology on Twitter. “In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this,” he wrote. “I am very sorry for making this unquestionably fensive decision and thank all you for holding me accountable.” The response to Fallon’s apology has been overwhelmingly supportive as many people have stated that a 20-year-old comedy sketch shouldn’t be used against the talk show host.
According to Deadline, the full skit was removed from NBC platforms immediately following the cancelation Megyn Kelly Today after she was booted for her controversial remarks defending blackface Halloween costumes. A portion Jimmy Fallon’s SNL skit was reposted on YouTube last year, and for some reason picked up steam in the last few days on Twitter. Check it out below.