Nick Cannon Says He’s Leaving ‘America’s Got Talent’ After Threats Of Firing Over Rac

Nick Cannon says he’s leaving as host of NBC’s America’s Got Talent after he learned network execs were considering firing him over a racial joke he told in his Showtime comedy special. Stand Up, Don’t Shoot, described as a stand-up special in which Cannon takes on race and other topics, premiered Friday, February 10 on Showtime.

“After days of deliberating over some extremely disappointing news that I was being threatened with termination by Executives because of a comedy special that was only intended to bring communities closer together, I was to be punished for a joke,” he writes on Instagram and Facebook. “This has weighed heavy on my spirit. It was brought to my attention by my “team” that NBC believed that I was in breach of contract because I had disparaged their brand. In my defense, I would ask how so? Or is this just another way to silence and control an outspoken voice who often battles the establishment.”