Jimmy Kimmel has apologized for his history of ‘embarrassing’ blackface skits as he criticized those who are using these ‘thoughtless moments’ to reduce his criticisms of injustices.
“There is nothing more important to me than your respect and I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke,” the TV host said as he explained that his current absence from Jimmy Kimmel Live! was not related to the controversy he is involved in.
Kimmel also said that he believes he has ‘evolved and matured’ over the last twenty years, which he said he hopes is evident to the viewers.
The TV host also said the delay in addressing the issue was a mistake.
“I have long been reluctant to address this, as I knew doing so would be celebrated as a victory by those who equate apologies with weakness and cheer for leaders who use prejudice to divide us. That delay was a mistake,” he expressed.
Kimmel’s statement came after an audio emerged of him admitting to imitating Snoop Dogg for a Christmas album in 1996 in which he mentions the n-word numerous times.
In the track, the TV host can be heard rapping: “Me and my n***er down in LBC, we’ll smoke that motherf***er Christmas tree.”
He also went under scrutiny for wearing blackface in TV skits in the 90s in which he impersonated the likes of Oprah Winfrey and NBA player Karl Malone.
“On KROQ radio in the mid-90s, I did a recurring impression of the NBA player Karl Malone.
In the late 90s, I continued impersonating Malone on TV. We hired makeup artists to make me look as much like Karl Malone as possible,” he revealed.
“I never considered that this might be seen as anything other than an imitation of a fellow human being, one that had no more to do with Karl’s skin color than it did his bulging muscles and bald head.
“I’ve done dozens of impressions of famous people, including Snoop Dogg, Oprah, Eminem, Dick Vitale, Rosie, and many others. In each case, I thought of them as impersonations of celebrities and nothing more.”
Kimmel added: “Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing, and it is frustrating that these thoughtless moments have become a weapon used by some to diminish my criticisms of social and other injustices.”
“I love this country too much to allow that. I won’t be bullied into silence by those who feign outrage to advance their oppressive and genuinely racist agendas,” he added.
“My summer vacation has been planned for more than a year and includes the next two summers off as well. I will be back to work in September.”
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