US comedian and late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon has apologised for wearing blackface in a Saturday Night Live skit two decades ago after a video of the scene went viral on social media.
In the clip, which was first aired on 11 March 2000, Fallon is seen wearing heavy makeup while impersonating fellow former SNL cast member and comedian Chris Rock, who is African American.
The sketch triggered a storm of outrage on social media, with #JimmyFallonIsOverParty trending worldwide.
The Tonight Show host took to Twitter on Tuesday to issue an apology and said there was “no excuse” for his actions.
“In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface,” Fallon’s statement said.
“There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.”
Rock has not spoken publicly since the apology.
Former Saturday Night Live cast members Jimmy Fallon (L) and Chris Rock (R) in 2009 Source: Getty Images
Fallon is not the first high-profile US entertainer to become embroiled in a blackface controversy. Comedians Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel, as well as actor Robert Downey Jr, have also been criticised for wearing blackface.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam have also resisted calls in recent times to step down from their positions when images of them wearing blackface when they were younger surfaced.
In 2018 newsreader Megyn Kelly was fired by NBC, the network which employs Fallon, when she defended wearing blackface as a Halloween costume.
