Jimmy Kimmel’s blackface reappears ahead of the 2023 Oscars

This isn’t an exercise – Hollywood’s biggest night is upon us! As many cinephiles prepare to cheer for their favorite actors at the 95th Academy Awards, others are keen to tarnish presenter Jimmy Kimmel’s reputation.

Prior to hosting the 2023 awards ceremony, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! Star and executive producer faces an immense test on social media. You may be wondering, “Why? What happened?” Well, several old clips of the comedian, who is open about his political views, have surfaced online showing him in blackface. If you’re expecting him to apologize, don’t worry — Jimmy Kimmel has been down this path before. Read on for all the known details.

In June 2020, the late-night host and producer apologized and announced he was taking the summer off amid a blackface controversy after several old videos of Jimmy making racist remarks in a music video surfaced on social media used insults and impersonated various black celebrities via black face The men’s show.

“I have long hesitated to address this, knowing it would be hailed as a victory by those who equate apologies with weakness and cheer leaders who use prejudice to divide us,” he said in a statement per CNN. “This delay was a mistake. There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who have been genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke.”

Jimmy explained, “In the mid ’90s, I got a recurring impression of NBA player Karl Malone on KROQ radio,” adding that he “continued to impersonate Malone on television in the late ’90s.”

“We hired makeup artists to make me look as good as Karl Malone,” the comedian added. “I never considered that this could be viewed as anything other than impersonating a fellow human having as little in common with Karl’s skin color as with his bulging muscles and bald head.”

The award-winning presenter continued, “I’ve done dozens of famous people impressions including Snoop Dogg, Oprah, Eminem, Dick Vitale, Rosie and many others. In any case, I thought of them as celebrity knockoffs and nothing more.”

“Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing, and it’s frustrating that those thoughtless moments have become a weapon of some to mitigate my criticisms of social and other injustices,” Jimmy said.