Nick Cannon Quits ‘America’s Got Talent’ in Lengthy Facebook Rant
Early Monday morning, comedian and America’s Got Talent host Nick Cannon took to his Facebook account to go on a lengthy rant against NBC, the AGT showrunners, and “the system” in general. When all was said and done, Cannon had ostensibly quit his post as the face of the show. The impetus for all the drama? A joke that Cannon made in his most recent Showtime special.
According to Cannon, NBC threatened to terminate the comedian’s contract after hearing a joke he made in his new special, Stand Up, Don’t Shoot, in which he claimed that his “n—r card” was taken away after he started hosting America’s Got Talent. After contemplating what to do for a few days, Cannon then decided to make a public statement on Facebook denouncing the network’s attempts to censor his act, while also asserting that NBC’s claims of Cannon “disparaging their brand” are tenuous at best.
“After days of deliberating over some extremely disappointing news that I was being threatened with termination by Executives because of a comedy special that was only intended to bring communities closer together, I was to be punished for a joke,” Cannon started. “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.”
Throughout the post, Cannon repeatedly touches on the fact that his being ostracized by “the system” might be part of a larger conspiracy to silence those who dissent and shrug off the status quo of the entertainment industry. He states that he’s loved his time on AGT and felt that he was making a meaningful contribution to Americans’ lives, but that his morals simply won’t allow him to continue on with NBC.
“There is no amount of money worth my dignity or my integrity,” stated Cannon. “I have loved hosting AMERICAS GOT TALENT for the last 8 seasons, watching talented, brave, and courageous Americans accomplish their dreams in front of millions has been nothing but a joy, and everyone has been a pleasure to work with but my soul won’t allow me to be in business with corporations that attempt to frown on freedom of speech, censor artists, and question cultural choices.”
Fret not for Cannon; The guy’s been in the industry for going on 20 years, and has a hand in just about every business venture one could think of, so he’ll be just fine without America’s Got Talent.
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