‘Wild ‘N Out’ Is Finally Coming Back Following Nick Cannon Controversy
Fans of Wild ‘N Out were devastated when it was paused amid Nick Cannon’s firing from ViacomCBS, the parent company of networks such as VH1, which airs the hit comedy series.
Cannon, who created Wild ‘N Out and has served as its host since its 2005 debut, was fired in the summer of 2020 for making anti-Semitic comments, leaving the future of the TV show uncertain. But after apologizing and correcting his mistakes, it looks like he’s getting another chance.
A look back at Nick Cannon’s ‘Wild ‘N Out’ drama
Drama arose in June 2020, when Cannon interviewed former Public Enemy artist Professor Griff on his podcast, Cannon’s Class. Throughout the interview, he referenced conspiracy theories about Jewish people and said Black people are the “true Hebrews,” among other things.
“It’s never hate speech, you can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people,” Cannon said (via NBC News). “When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.”
Amid the ensuing backlash, ViacomCBS announced in a statement that it had decided to terminate its business relationship with Cannon, who had worked with the company as far back as the ’90s when he was on Nickelodeon’s All That and The Nick Cannon Show.
How Nick Cannon reacted to his firing from ViacomCBS
At first, Cannon doubled down on his comments. But as the criticism mounted, he changed course, offering an apology for the “hurtful and divisive” things he said during the interview.
“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,” he tweeted in July 2020. “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.”
He also promised and set out to educate himself on anti-Semitism and the reasons his comments were so controversial. “I am committed to deeper connections, more profound learning, and strengthening the bond between our two cultures today and every day going forward,” he added.
Nick Cannon’s behavior earned his show back
News broke on Feb. 4 that Cannon will be resuming his position on Wild ‘N Out. Explaining the decision, a spokesperson for MTV Entertainment Group told Variety:
“Nick has not only apologized and taken responsibility for his comments, but he has also worked to educate himself and others through engagement with Jewish leaders and on his platforms. Those efforts are of the utmost importance and that’s why we have invited him to rejoin our team.”
It’s unclear when new episodes will release, but Variety reports that production will begin “at some point beyond the near future.”
