UPDATED 7/16, 1:45 p.m. ET: Nick Cannon has decided to take a break from his radio show following the backlash he received for making anti-Semitic comments on his podcast.
In a series of tweets he shared, Cannon explained he's stepping away from his radio show at this time to reflect and "establish an action plan towards real, impactful change and advocacy aimed at bringing people together."
See original story below.
On Wendesday night, Nick Cannon issued an apology for comments he made during his Cannon’s Class podcast episode with former Public Enemy member Richard Griffin.
"First and foremost I extend my deepest and most sincere apologies to my Jewish sisters and brothers for the hurtful and divisive words that came out of my mouth during my interview with Richard Griffin," Cannon began his apology, which he posted to his social media accounts. "They reinforced the worst stereotypes of a proud and magnificent people and I feel ashamed of the uninformed and naïve place that these words came from. "
Cannon went on to say that he's removed the podcast episode that's at the center of the controversy.
"While the Jewish experience encompasses more than 5,000 years and there is so much I have yet to learn, I have had at least a minor history lesson over the past few days and to say that it is eye-opening would be a vast understatement," Cannon continued. "I want to express my gratitude to the Rabbis, community leaders and institutions who reached out to me to help enlighten me, instead of chastising me. I want to assure my Jewish friends, new and old, that this is only the beginning of my education—I am committed to deeper connections, more profound learning and strengthening the bond between our two cultures today and every day going forward."
After the podcast episode was released and a wave of backlash hit social media, ViacomCBS cut ties with the entertainer for "hateful speech" and promoting "anti-Semitic conspiracy theories." Canon responded by demanding ViacomCBS hand over ownership rights to Wild ‘N Out.
“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 wrote. "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!”
Shortly after Cannon sent out his apology, Fox announced they will not cut ties with him and he will continue to host The Masked Singer. Cannon has hosted the show for all three of its seasons.
"When we were made aware of Nick Cannon’s interview with Richard Griffin on YouTube, we immediately began a dialogue with Nick," Fox said, via The Wrap. "He is clear and remorseful that his words were wrong and lacked both understanding and context, and inadvertently promoted hate. This was important for us to observe. Nick has sincerely apologized, and quickly taken steps to educate himself and make amends. On that basis and given a belief that this moment calls for dialogue, we will move forward with Nick and help him advance this important conversation, broadly. Fox condemns all forms of hate directed toward any community and we will combat bigotry of any kind."
