Comedian Jay Leno has apologized for the controversial jokes he has made about Asians over the years. In a joint press release with the Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) shared Wednesday, Leno admitted he knew "in my heart" that the quips he made were wrong.
"At the time, there was a prevailing attitude that some group is always complaining about something, so don’t worry about it. Whenever we received a complaint, there would be two sides to the discussion: Either 'We need to deal with this’ or ‘Screw ‘em if they can’t take a joke,'" Leno explained, according to TheWrap. "Too many times I sided with the latter even when in my heart I knew it was wrong. That is why I am issuing this apology. I do not consider this particular case to be another example of cancel culture, but a legitimate wrong that was done on my part."
There have been several occasions in which Leno has made Anti-Asian remarks. In 2002, he joked about South Korean speed skater Kim Dong Sung eating dogs. He continued to make similar jokes for the next decade. In 2012, "America's Got Talent" judge Gabrielle Union came forth with allegations that Leno made a similar joke during his stint on the show. When he saw a painting of fellow judge Simon Cowell with his dogs, Leno said the animals looked like food from a Korean restaurant, according to a report by Variety.
"At the time I did those jokes, I genuinely thought them to be harmless," Leno said in Wednesday's statement. "I was making fun of our enemy North Korea and, like most jokes, there was a ring of truth to them."
Leno added that he hoped the Asian American community would be able to accept his apology, and that he could "live up to their expectations in the future."
Leno's apology comes as America faces a wave of violence against Asian people. Eight people, mostly of Asian descent, were killed in three shootings that took place on March 16 near Atlanta-area spas, according to USA Today. Furthermore, an ADL survey shared with the outlet shows a dramatic increase in serious incidents of online hate and harassment as people of Asian descent face blame for the coronavirus pandemic spread.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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