Twenty years after he sported blackface for a Saturday Night Live (SNL) episode, Jimmy Fallon, the host of NBC's The Tonight Show, has apologised.
Blackface refers to the use of makeup by non-black performers to play black roles. According to American news source Vox, the act has strongly racist origins. In the mid- to late 19th century, white actors routinely used black grease paint on their faces when depicting plantation slaves on stage.
The SNL episode in 2000 featured a sketch in which Fallon darkened his face with makeup to impersonate black comedian Chris Rock.
Twitter users started the hashtag #JimmyFallonIsOverParty. Over party is a phrase that refers to the withdrawal of support for public figures and companies after they have done or said something objectionable or offensive.
Fallon, 45, tweeted his apology on Tuesday (May 26), taking on a deeply regretful tone.
"In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of (actor-comedian) Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this," he said.
"I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable."
According to Fox News, other comedians have also been placed under the spotlight for wearing blackface in the past. For instance, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel did so several times to impersonate former NBA player Karl Malone and daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey when he hosted sexist comedy series The Man Show from 1999 to 2003.
