Jimmy Kimmel Apologizes For Blackface Skit

Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is apologizing after a clip surfaced of him in blackface as NBA icon Karl Malone.

Kimmel, who is taking a summer break from his show, said in a statement, “I have long been reluctant to address this, as I knew doing so would be celebrated as a victory by those who equate apologies with weakness and cheer for leaders who use prejudice to divide us.”

He continued, “That delay was a mistake. There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke.”

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It’s not clear when the video of Kimmel in blackface occured, but The Hollywood Reporter claims mid to late 1990s.

See the clip below:

Last month, Jimmy Fallon apologized for putting on blackface to impersonate his fellow comedian Chris Rock in a twenty-year-old Saturday Night Live skit.

He tweeted on May 26, “In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this,” Fallon tweeted in apology. “I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.”