Is ‘Wild ‘N Out’ Canceled? Nick Cannon Opens Up After His Firing From ViacomCBS
Wild ‘N Out has been a big hit with viewers from the very beginning.
An improv comedy show, it premiered on MTV in 2005 and grew to become a top-rated program with its fresh humor, energy, and colorful cast and crew. Wild ‘N Out continues to see success even fifteen seasons later. But some are wondering about its future after the network that airs it, ViacomCBS, fired show creator and host Nick Cannon on July 14.
Why was Nick Cannon fired from ViacomCBS?
Cannon was ousted after making anti-Semitic comments on his YouTube series Cannon’s Class. During the June 30 interview, where he interviewed former Public Enemy star Professor Griff, Cannon said Black people are the “true Hebrews” and shared anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in regards to the Rothschild banking family.
As his statements circulated the Internet, Cannon took to Twitter on July 13 to say he did not have malice intentions and didn’t intend to spread hateful rhetoric. However, he didn’t appear to directly apologize for his remarks.
As the criticism mounted, ViacomCBS announced its decision to sever ties with Cannon.
“ViacomCBS condemns bigotry of any kind and we categorically denounce all forms of anti-Semitism,” it said in a statement shared with TVLine. “We have spoken to Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast Cannon’s Class on YouTube, which promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.”
“While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him,” it continued.
The statement concluded: “We are committed to doing better in our response to incidents of anti-Semitism, racism, and bigotry. ViacomCBS will have further announcements on our efforts to combat hate of all kinds.”
Nick Cannon had a long relationship with Viacom
Cannon had been a part of the network since 1998 when he debuted on Nickelodeon’s All That, which was aired by ViacomCBS. He went on to star in his own, self-titled show on Nickelodeon from 2002 to 2003 before pitching the idea of Wild ‘N Out to MTV. Vibe reports that he shot a pilot with some friends in 2003 and got the green light sometime later.
“With Wild ‘N Out, they’ll get to see a whole new side of Nick as he flexes his improv and sketch comedy skills alongside this great cast he helped assemble,” MTV’s then-senior vice president of production development and animation Tony DiSanto said in a statement at the time. “We’re thrilled to be in business with Nick, and to bring our viewers comedy and hip-hop in a fresh way.”
As Wild ‘N Out kicked off, Cannon continued to grow within Viacom, becoming the chairman of TeenNick in 2009 and helping develop content for it. He took a six-year hiatus from Wild ‘N Out partly to focus on his marriage to Mariah Carey, but it has been in full force ever since its return in 2013.
Is ‘Wild ‘N Out’ going to be canceled?
There is no official word on the fate of Wild ‘N Out just yet. But social media users are afraid that it might get canceled given Cannon’s connection to the show.
Some have argued that he might just be replaced, but Cannon demanded full ownership of Wild ‘N Out in a statement posted to his Facebook page on July 15.
“I demand full ownership of my billion dollar ‘Wild ‘N Out’ brand that I created, and they will continue to misuse and destroy without my leadership!” he wrote (via Variety). Cannon also said: “I demand that the hate and back door bullying cease and while we are at it, now that the truth is out, I demand the Apology!”
So far, ViacomCBS has not responded to his request. But we’ll keep you posted with updates.
Read more: Christina Milian Reveals How She Caught Nick Cannon Cheating
