Nick Cannon wants this to be a learning experience (Picture: Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel have been exposed for wearing blackface by Nick Cannon, who urged the comedians to engage in a ‘truth and reconciliation discussion’.

During Black History Month, Nick, 38, has been addressing aspects of racism and the black experience on social media – particularly blackface, in light of the current scandal in Virginia politics.

A number of politicans have admitted to wearing blackface in the past, including Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who confessed to dressing up as Michael Jackson, while Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment edited a college publication containing blackface pictures and slurs.

And calling February ‘Blackface History Month’, Cannon chose to unearth pictures of a number of popular white comedians wearing blackface on television.




Jimmy Kimmel – last year’s Oscar host and presenter of Jimmy Kimmel Live! – wore blackface to impersonate basketball player Karl Malone in 2000 on his Comedy Central series The Man Show.

In a clip of the sketch, Jimmy is heard speaking in a dumbed down voice while talking about alien abductions.

Meanwhile, a sketch on Saturday Night Live around the same time saw The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon wear blackface in an impression of Chris Rock.

He revived his Chris Rock impression – minus the offensive blackface – during his opening monologue at the 2017 Golden Globes, an impression which raised eyebrows.

Nick shared a compilation of footage and wrote: ‘Are these your Kings of Late Night??? @JimmyFallon @JimmyKimmel you know I’m always on the side of the comedian and never pander to the sensitive, but I feel there needs to be some “truth & reconciliation” discussions and teachable moments amongst our communities.

Jimmy wore blackface to impersonate a basketball player (Picture: Comedy Central)

Jimmy impersonated Chris Rock on SNL (Picture: NBC)

‘I’m ready and willing for the discourse, so who wants to step up to the table first? In the meantime, I’ll just leave this right here. Tell the Jimmys to holla at me!’

Russell Simmons commented: ‘Jesus I mean Jesus this shit hurts’, with Nick replying: ‘I know OG! Hopefully we can all learn and grow from these incidents.’

Cannon also said in a separate thread: ‘I don’t think we cancel them, I got love for those men. But we must speak truth before we can reconcile.’

Neither Fallon nor Kimmel has made fun of the Virginia blackface scandal on their shows.

The Wild ‘n’ Out star also posted a picture of Sarah Silverman wearing minstrel-like blackface in a 2007 sketch for her series The Sarah Silverman Show.

The offensive sketch saw Sarah say ‘I look like the beautiful Queen Latifah’ before entering a baptist church and proclaiming: ‘I’m black today.’

Last year, the School Of Rock actress told GQ: ‘I don’t stand by the blackface sketch. I’m horrified by it, and I can’t erase it. I can only be changed by it and move on.

Sarah said she was horrified by her 2007 sketch (Picture: Comedy Central)

‘That was such liberal-bubble stuff, where I actually thought it was dealing with racism by using racism. I don’t get joy in that anymore. It makes me feel yucky. All I can say is that I’m not that person anymore.’

Nick’s post come in a month which has seen a number of blackface scandals – yep, in the year 2019.

Katy Perry’s fashion line has withdrawn shoes from sale that have been accused of depicting blackface, while Gucci issued an apology for selling an offensive jumper which was accused of resembling blackface.



Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Fallon and Kimmel.

Got a showbiz story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.

MORE: Trevor Noah’s stunning take on Liam Neeson’s racist comments drama is incredible

MORE: Liam Neeson admitted to ‘racial profiling’ five years ago: ‘We all do it, I know I do’