L-A Radio: ViacomCBS Fires Nick Cannon

Richard Griffin and Nick Cannon

The television star Nick Cannon was fired by ViacomCBS on Tuesday for making anti-Semitic remarks during a recent podcast in which he discussed conspiracy theories about Jewish people and praised a minister notorious for anti-Jewish comments, The NY Times reports.

ViacomCBS is the parent company of MTV and the cable channel TeenNick, both of which prominently showcased the 39-year-old Cannon for years on various platforms.

A ViacomCBS spokeswoman said in a statement that the company categorically denounced 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,” the statement said. “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.”

In a tweet on Monday, Cannon said, “Anyone who knows me knows that I have no hate in my heart nor malice intentions.”

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.

— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) July 13, 2020

Cannon, an actor and a musician and radio KPWR Power 106  host, is also a host on the Fox show “The Masked Singer.” It was not immediately clear if Cannon’s relationship with the network was being re-evaluated. Fox did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday night.

Nick Cannon

On the June 30 episode of the podcast, Cannon was interviewing the rapper Richard Griffin, known as Professor Griff, about his dismissal from the hip-hop group Public Enemy in 1989.

Griffin left the group after he said in an interview with The Washington Times: “The Jews are wicked. And we can prove this.” He also said that Jews were responsible for “the majority of wickedness that goes on across the globe.”

Speaking to Cannon, Griffin doubled down on his past remarks about the influence of Jewish people on the music and media industries.

“I’m hated now because I told the truth,” Mr. Griffin said.

“You’re speaking facts,” Mr. Cannon said. “There’s no reason to be scared of anything when you’re speaking the truth.”


Cannon said it was an honor to have the “legend” Griffin on his podcast. He also said it was a shame that Louis Farrakhan, a minister known for his history of anti-Semitic comments, had been silenced on Facebook.