Nick Cannon Demands Apology From ViacomCBS, Ownership of Wild 'N Out Franchise After Firing
Nick Cannon is demanding an apology from ViacomCBS — as well as full ownership of the “billion-dollar” Wild ‘N Out brand — after being fired by the conglomerate for, as they put it, promoting “hateful speech” and “anti-Semitic conspiracy theories” on his podcast.
Cannon, who also hosts Fox’s Masked Singer, was let go by ViacomCBS on Tuesday, just days after an episode of the Cannon’s Class podcast went viral for alluding to several prominent anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Explaining the decision, a rep for ViacomCBS said in part, “We have spoken to Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast… which promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him.”
Now, in a 1500-word Facebook statement titled “Truth and Reconciliation,” Cannon alleges that he did in fact try to apologize, and “went as far to reach out to [Viacom owner] Shari Redstone to have a conversation of reconciliation,” only to be met with “Dead Silence!” “That’s when I realized they don’t want a conversation or growth, they wanted to put the young negro in his place,” he says. “They wanted to show me who is boss, hang me out to dry and make an example of anyone who says something they don’t agree with.” (A ViacomCBS spokesperson told our sister site Variety, “It is absolutely untrue that Nick Cannon reached out to [Redstone].”)
Cannon’s Facebook posting also recounts his decades-long partnership with Viacom, which began at Nickelodeon as a writer and cast member on All That and eventually led to the 2005 creation of the long-running hip-hop improv show Wild ‘N Out, “an idea which I self-financed out my own pocket and presented to MTV.” After creating a “billion-dollar brand that expanded across a multitiered empire,” Cannon claims that “my ownership of [Wild ‘N Out] was swindled away from me.”
Cannon eventually calls for an apology and “full ownership” of the Wild ‘N Out franchise.
“I demand full ownership of my billion dollar Wild ‘N Out brand that I created, and they will continue to misuse and destroy without my leadership!” he says. “I demand that the hate and back door bullying cease and while we are at it, now that the truth is out, I demand the Apology!”
Read his full statement below:
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