Nick Cannon’s daytime talk show, which was scheduled to premiere later this year, has been pushed to 2021 in the aftermath of anti-Semitic comments he made on a podcast.
The show’s producer, Lionsgate-owned Debmar-Mercury, confirmed the news in a statement obtained by Variety, saying that it is “standing by” Cannon given that his “public comments don’t reflect his true feelings.” The decision mirrors that taken by Fox, which also backed the beleaguered host by keeping him on as the MC of “The Masked Singer.”
“The ‘Nick Cannon’ talk show will not debut this year,” the Debmar-Mercury statement read. “After conversations with Nick, we do believe that his public comments don’t reflect his true feelings and his apology is heartfelt and sincere. We want to continue the healing process as he meets with leaders of the Jewish community and engages in a dialogue with our distribution partners to hear their views. We are standing by Nick in our hope that by fall 2021 he will be able to use his extraordinary talent and platform to entertain, enlighten and unite his audience on the ‘Nick Cannon’ talk show.”
“Lionsgate and Debmar-Mercury condemn anti-Semitism, racism and hate speech,” the statement continued. “It runs counter to everything we stand for.”
Cannon’s talk show was picked up in crucial markets by Fox Television Stations late last year and was cleared in over 90% of the country, which virtually guaranteed it to launch this fall. However, that is no longer the case as as a result of comments Cannon made during a June 30 episode of his podcast “Cannon’s Class,” which featured former Public Enemy member Professor Griff. At one point in the episode, Cannon said Black people are the “true Hebrews” and talked about anti-Semitic conspiracy theories involving the Rothschild family.
Cannon issued a series of apologies following the incident, the latest of which coincided with his decision to “take time away” from Los Angeles-based radio show.
“I will use this time to establish an action plan towards real, impactful change and advocacy aimed at bringing people together,” Cannon said on Twitter. “I continue to express my gratitude to the Rabbis, community leaders and institutions who have reached out to me to help enlighten me. Their input and friendship will help me as I further commit myself to more profound learning and towards strengthening the bond between the Black and Jewish cultures every day going forward.”
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety