ViacomCBS is reportedly considering working with Nick Cannon again following his dismissal over an anti-Semitic rant.
President of Entertainment and Youth Brands Chris McCarthy praised Cannon’s apologies during a staff town hall meeting Monday, according to a report published Thursday by Variety.
“He apologized, he said it was wrong. He has since been on a journey of learning and understanding, and more importantly, he is using his voice to help educate other people and is becoming an advocate on this issue.” https://t.co/nfRCCAu8tv
— The Forward (@jdforward) August 21, 2020
“I struggle with the fact that Nick, a longtime partner and friend of ours, is on this journey and we’re not part of that journey,” McCarthy said in response to a question about Cannon, Variety reported.
“We’re in the content business and we all understand the power of telling stories,” he said, according to the outlet. “The gift that we have as storytellers is to transport audiences into new worlds and experiences – enabling them to walk in someone else’s shoes. And when we do this well, we can give the gift empathy and understanding.”
“I am hopeful we find a way to bring these two things together and hopefully we will have the opportunity to do that with Nick again,” he added, referencing storytelling and social issues.
Cannon was fired from his show after he went on an Anti-Semitic rant during his podcast. Cannon called black people the “true hebrews” among other things. He initially refused to issue an apology for his remarks.
“I will not be bullied, silenced, or continuously oppressed by any organization, group, or corporation,” he said at the time.
He backtracked and issued a full apology on his Twitter account. (RELATED: Nick Cannon Apologizes For Anti-Semitic Remarks)
“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 said on Twitter. “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. The video of this interview has since been removed.”
A ViacomCBS source confirmed to Variety that McCarthy and Cannon have spoken recently, but no official plan to bring the actor back exists currently.