Comedian and TV host Jimmy Fallon has issued an apology for performing in blackface during a “Saturday Night Live” skit that aired in 2000.
During the skit in question, Fallon portrays fellow comedian Chris Rock, who is black.
What are the details?
The 20-year-old clip of Fallon in blackface resurfaced on the internet this week after NBC ran a compilation video featuring the skit — “Regis co-host auditions” — on the “Saturday Night Live” website. Fallon was conspicuously absent from the clip.
Social media had a field day with the clip, considering NBC — “Saturday Night Live’s” parent network — fired TV host Megyn Kelly in 2018 over a discussion about the appropriateness of blackface for Halloween.
A spokesperson for Fallon pointed TheBlaze to Fallon’s lengthy apology, made late Tuesday afternoon, via email.
The apology read, “In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank you all for holding me accountable.”
Fallon tweeted the apology to his 51 million Twitter followers.
At the time of this writing, Fallon’s tweet has received more than 18,000 likes in the hour since it was posted, and responses to the comedian’s apology have been largely positive.