Comedian and actor Nick Cannon has announced he is quitting America’s Got Talent after falling out with NBC over a racially tinged joke
He made the joke at the network’s expense during a comedy standup a Showtime comedy special entitled ‘Stand Up, Don’t Shoot’ that aired Friday.
“I find myself in a dark place having to make a decision that I wish I didn’t have to ” Cannon wrote in a lengthy post on Facebook.
“But as a man, an artist, and a voice for my community I will not be silenced, controlled or treated like a piece of property. There is no amount of money worth my dignity or my integrity.”
The TV personality, who has served on the show for eight consecutive seasons, says he decided to resign after network executives allegedly threatened to terminate his contract over the joke.
Cannon singled out three white audience members and quipped that if they were expecting his regular America’s Got Talent fare, they’d be in for a disappointment.
“You thought you were going to get the tight suits with the shiny shoes….I’m going to use some different language than what you’re used to hearing on the show.”
He went on to joke that his long stint at NBC had damaged his street credibility in the black community. “I grew up like a real n—-r, all that stuff, but I honestly believe once I stated doing ‘America’s Got Talent’, they took my real n—-r card,” he said.
Cannon then took a jab at the network, saying the acronym NBC (National Broadcasting Company) really stood for “N****r Better Come on” and that the network would not let him speak his mind for fear of loosing “white money.”
In his statement, the Roll Bounce actor deplored being “punished for a joke” that was intended to “bring communities closer together.”
“This has weighed heavy on my spirit. It was brought to my attention by my ‘team’ that NBC believed that I was in breach of contract because I had disparaged their brand. In my defense, I would ask how so? Or is this just another way to silence and control an outspoken voice who often battles the establishment.”
Sharon Osbourne, who worked with Cannon on America’s Got Talent for years, defended him on CBS’ The Talk, saying “He is such a people person. He’s amazing with the kids…You’ll never be able to replace Nick as a person, as an artist. I admire him for standing up for his right, for his freedom of speech. He is a comic. If you can’t take it as that, as a network, and you are in the entertainment industry, then sorry. You have no sense of humor.”
Cannon had been on the show since 2009.
You can read his full statement below:
