ViacomCBS Drops Nick Cannon Over Hate Speech On Podcast

Media giant ViacomCBS has terminated their longrunning relationship with artist Nick Cannon after a conversation on his podcast was deemed to contain racist and anti-semitic language.

The move was made on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, following the backlash Cannon received for the comments he made on his podcast, Cannon’s Class.

In a statement obtained by THR, ViacomCBS said:

ViacomCBS condemns bigotry of any kind and we categorically denounce all forms of anti-Semitism. We have spoken with Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast “Cannon’s Class” on YouTube, 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.

We are committed to doing better in our response to incidents of anti-Semitism, racism, and bigotry. ViacomCBS will have further announcements on our efforts to combat hate of all kinds.”

Cannon had gone on Twitter to respond to the criticisms he got, saying:

Anyone who knows me knows that I have no hate in my heart nor malice intentions. I do not condone hate speech nor the spread of hateful rhetoric. We are living in a time when it is more important than ever to promote unity and understanding.”

In a later post, he added the following words:

In today’s conversation about anti-racism and social justice, I think we all including myself must continue educating one another & embrace uncomfortable conversations it’s the only way we ALL get better.”