Jimmy Kimmel has issued a statement over his use of blackface and racist slurs in old comedy skits, while arguing that some critics had sought to “weaponise” the skits to harm his career.
In a statement, Kimmel said he should have addressed the controversy earlier, and attempted to explain the context in which the skits occurred.
Kimmel also used the statement to confirm that his decision to step down from his talk show for the summer was not made in relation to the unearthed skits.
Kimmel has faced criticism in recent days over unearthed skits in which he uses the n-word and wears blackface while impersonating figures including Snoop Dogg and Oprah Winfrey.