Jamie Foxx has responded to the backlash that Jimmy Fallon has been facing after an Saturday Night Live sketch in which Jimmy does blackface recently resurfaced. Back in 2000, when the late night host was still a regular on the sketch comedy show, Jimmy did an impression of former cast member, Chris Rock, for which he painted his skin brown.
The sketch has received criticism in the years since it aired, although it appears that it's made its way back into the public consciousness once again. This time, The Tonight Show decided it was time to acknowledge the backlash, issuing an apology for his "unquestionably offensive decision" to do blackface on the show.
However, not everyone agrees that the move was wrong, or could even be considered blackface. On Wednesday, Jamie Foxx commented on an Instagram post by E! News that had reported Jimmy's apology, coming to the defense of his fellow comedian. "He was doing an impression of chris rock," Jamie wrote. "It wasn’t black face. We comedians I know it’s a tough time right now. But this one is a stretch. On a show called in living color we played every race Let this one go. We got bigger fish to fry ... #changecourse."
Jimmy Fallon Issues Apology Over "Blackface" SNL Sketch From 20 Years Ago
Jimmy Fallon caught heat over a "Saturday Night Live" sketch from 2000 where he wears blackface as he impersonates Chris Rock.
Cancel Culture has had quite the week. After chopping down Lana Del Rey's tree following her open letter, Doja Cat began to trend over allegations that she was anti-black. Now, The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon has found himself in trouble with the public after a Saturday Night Live skit that he participated in back in 2000 went viral. In it, Jimmy Fallon wears blackface to impersonate fellow SNL alum Chris Rock.
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Fallon didn't waste any time with issuing a formal apology on Twitter. "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," he wrote. "I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable." The response to Fallon's apology has been overwhelmingly supportive as many people have stated that a 20-year-old comedy sketch shouldn't be used against the talk show host.
According to Deadline, the full skit was removed from NBC platforms immediately following the cancelation of Megyn Kelly Today after she was booted for her controversial remarks defending blackface Halloween costumes. A portion of Jimmy Fallon's SNL skit was reposted on YouTube last year, and for some reason picked up steam in the last few days on Twitter. Check it out below.
Chris Rock Calls Lil Duval His "Favorite Person On Instagram"
Chris Rock sang Lil Duval’s praises in a recent interview where he named Duval his favorite personality on Instagram.
He doesn’t have much of an online presence, but legendary comedian Chris Rock is paying attention to what’s happening on social media. He rarely pops up online, especially in an Instagram Live, but that’s exactly what happened recently when Chris Rock sat down for a “Safer At Home” interview. During the conversation, Rock discussed internet personalities and decided to share his favorite.
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“My favorite person on Instagram, even though I’m not on…I discovered through Instagram, he’s not an Instagram comedian but I discovered—I became familiar with, I don’t want to say I discovered him, the guy has a career. Lil Duval,” Rock stated. He added that if it wasn’t for Instagram, he would have “got to the party late.”
“He’s such [an] artist with it,” Rock continued. “Lil Duval, he’s the king of all of this.” Charlamagne Tha God, Lil Duval’s good friend and longtime collaborator, gave both Chris Rock and Duval a shoutout after reposting the clip of the interview. “I love seeing Kings celebrating Kings!!! The GOD @chrisrock showing love to the young OG @lilduval ALL my folks are legends in the making and there is nothing Satan can do about it. If you mad about that then take your grievances to GOD because it’s all the work of a higher power!!! Divine Engineering and I love to see it!!!! ????????????.” Duval added, “Wow! This means a lot coming from a real living legend @chrisrock.” Check it out below.
Chris Rock Splits From Girlfriend, Megalyn Echikunwoke
Chris Rock and Megalyn Echikunwoke call it quits after four years of commitment.
Comedian, Chris Rock and his actress girlfriend of four years, Megalyn Echikunwoke are officially no longer. According to Page Six, multiple sources confirmed that the power couple discreetly ended their relationship a couple of months ago without an official public announcement. Allegedly, the New Jack City actor was unwilling to fully settle down with Echikunwoke after struggling with the grievous divorce from his wife of 18 years, Malaak Compton-Rock, that made official back in 2016. Now, the 55-year-old is back on the market as one of the world’s most coveted single entertainers. Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
Unfortunately for Echikunwoke, she’s had to see a lot of her ex-boyfriend in recent memory and will have to see a lot more of him in the near future. After stealing the show alongside Steve Martin at the 92nd annual Academy Awards ceremony with his audience-targeted jokes, Chris Rock made headlines across the globe for his performance. Now, with Chris Rock revamping the Saw movie franchise with the help of Samuel L. Jackson and him taking on a mob boss role on one of the most-watched television series in Fargo this upcoming season, the 36-year-old actress will have to endure the pain of the post-breakup grieving process while he increases his on-screen time.
However, despite Rock’s success, Echikunwoke has secured a bag of her own starring in the television drama Almost Family and the Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish-led comedy film, Night School (2018).
In Chris Rock’s first standup special in over a decade entitled, Tamborine (2018), he opened up about his divorce from his ex-wife of nearly 20 years. Rock painfully jokes:
“I had to pay for a lawyer to divorce me. That’s like hiring a hitman to kill you. I had to go through a custody fight for my kids. Just to see my kids, man. You don’t want to be a man in family court. You don’t want to be a black man in any court… Would I ever get married again? Not if it would cure AIDS.”
While it is unclear whether or not Chris Rock and Megalyn Echikunwoke’s decision to break it off was amicable, the two obviously shared a special bond that worthy of treasuring for the last four years and have bright futures ahead of them both. Check out the trailer to Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson’s, Spiral (2020), set to release in May in the video provided below.
Chris Rock Roasts Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, During Oscars Monologue
Chris Rock & Steve Martin own the Academy Awards crowd.
The 92nd annual Academy Awards are officially under the way and the festivities were perfectly kicked off with an amazing performance by Janelle Monae honoring the late, great Mr. Rogers. And with the Oscars choosing to go without a host for the second consecutive year in a row, it was a surprise when ex-Oscar emcees and comedians, Chris Rock and Steve Martin took the stage side-by-side to provide attendees with some temporary entertainment prior to revealing this year's award winners.
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The two accomplished comedians stood on stage initially engaging in a classic comedy self-deprecating standoff before turning their attention to those in the crowd. Chris Rock personally went on to poke fun at two-time Oscar winner, Mahershala Ali, Brad Pitt, Martin Scorsese, the Academy itself, and more. Rock stated in reference to Scorsese's Netflix film:
"I loved the first season of The Irishman," before turning his attention to Ali saying, "Mahershala Ali is a two-time Oscar-winner. Do you know what that means if he is pulled over by cops in LA? Nothing."
Without a single female filmmaker nominated for Best Director this year, Chris Rock addressed the elephant in the room, the only way he knows how, with the joke. Steve Martin initiated the conversation saying:
"I thought there was something missing from the list of directors this year," Martin said. To which Rock replied, "Vaginas."
Then the comedians turned actors took it upon themselves to roast none other than the CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. Chris Rock proudly announced:
"Jeff Bezos is here. He’s got cash, when he writes the cash, the bank bounces." Rock continued, "Jeff is so rich, he got divorced and he’s still the richest man in the world. He saw Marriage Story and thought it was a comedy."
The Fargo actor then turned to Steve Martin and stated, "Steve, do you have anything you want to add about Mr. Bezos?" he asked. To which Martin bashfully replied, "No, I like getting my packages on time."
Check out the opening mini-monologues by Steve Martin and Chris Rock below, and check out the full list of Oscar winners, here.
Leslie Jones Cussed Out Chris Rock For Getting Her "SNL" Audition
He told to "shut the f*ck up" and to go on the audition before he hung up on her.
If you're a comedian and your famous friend helps you get an audition in one of the most popular sketch comedy shows in the world, you don't turn them down. Leslie Jones is a beloved cast member of the long-running series Saturday Night Live, but prior to being a show staple, she was a touring stand-up comedian on the rise. Chris Rock was on the hit show from 1990 to 1993 and after seeing Leslie perform live, he thought she'd be a perfect addition. Leslie, on the other hand, did not.
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"I didn't come to get the job—Howard, I literally went to tell them how dope I was and was gon' tell 'em no," Leslie said. "I really came out so people can see me and maybe that was gon' give me some opportunities, but I had all plans of saying no." She also explained, "[Chris] saw me at The Comedy Store one late night doing a spot and he was like, 'Yep, she's next level. She's ready.'" Chris then wrote down her name in his "funny book." Leslie added, "I think he called me and was like, 'Hey, I just talked to Lorne [Michaels], I just had dinner with Lorne. Somebody from SNL is gon' contact you for an audition."
She couldn't believe it and initially, she was upset. "Why the f*ck would you do that?" Leslie said she asked him. "I am not a sketch [comedian]. What the f*ck, Chris?! I don't do that sh*t. The f*ck am I gon' do? I'm a f*ckin' stand-up. I'm not gon' be able to do that sh*t." In true Chris Rock fashion, he told her to "shut the f*ck up" and go impress SNL. "And he hung up."
Watch Leslie share the funny story and explain what happened when she went on stage during her audition below.
Chris Rock Takes On Mob Boss Role In Season 4 Of "Fargo"
Chris Rock is ditching stand up and sneakers for mob ties and Tommy guns in the fourth season of “Fargo.”
Chris Rock is making his return to the television screen this spring in one of the most coveted fictitious period-piece television series of this generation in Fargo. The Bigger & Blacker comedian is temporarily ditching the standup mic for suits, ties, guns, and a mustache that convincingly adds to his aesthetic as crime syndicate boss, Loy Cannon.
In the fourth season of Fargo, Cannon is leading a group of black migrants fleeing the Jim Crow South to Kansas City, Missouri in hopes he’ll be able to lead his people to prosperity and settle in a safe environment. Unfortunately, with the presence of the Kansas City mafia looming around the displaced people, Cannon is forced to take on the mafia. Surprisingly, the two opposing groups come to an agreement that they would trade eldest sons to be raised by each other’s families in order to force peace within the community.
While on a recent promo tour for the upcoming season of the highly-popularized drama, Chris Rock revealed that he was pleasantly surprised he received a role in the show, stating, “I was shocked. I did not think in my wildest dreams it was to be on the show. I was pleasantly surprised.”
Chris Rock recently contributed to the legendary moment joining Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Kenan, Thompson, and Tracy Morgan on stage during Saturday Night Live. Season four of Fargo will premiere on April 19 on FX. Check out the full trailer for new season featuring Chris Rock as Loy Cannon in the video provided below.
Chris Rock Stars As 1950s Crime Lord In "Fargo" Season 4 Trailer
The award-winning show is almost back.
The long-awaited fourth season of FX’s Fargo, which will star Chris Rock, is almost here. Earlier this week, the network released the first trailer for the upcoming season.
Season four will follow an African American crime syndicate which goes to war with the Italian mafia in Kansas City, Missouri during the 1950s.
Chris Rock was asked about moving into a dramatic role with Fargo by ET Canada, and he said, “Fargo always has a little comedy. But it’s always more ironic. The comedy in Fargo really serves the story. It’s not like ‘a guy is going to be funny right now.'”
“This year, we’re really looking at the origins of the American capital crime, which is the exploitation of cheap labor,” Creator Noah Hawley explained of the upcoming season. “It took a long time for those people working to break into what we consider mainstream America.”
Fargo is an anthology by season based on the Coen Brother film of the same name. Its previous stars have included Ewan McGregor, Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and more. It’s received universal acclaim from critics, having received 8 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and 8 Golden Globe nominations as well as having a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Season four is scheduled to premiere on FX on April 19th.