Nick Cannon reportedly suing ViacomCBS for $1.5B over rights to ‘Wild ‘n Out’
The TV personality, actor and musician may be suing the network that fired him after anti-Semitic remarks
Following his termination over anti-Semitic remarks, it is now being reported that Nick Cannon is suing ViacomCBS for $1.5B, the estimated value of his show Wild ’n Out.
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As we previously reported, after a fruitful 20-year working relationship, last month the media juggernaut severed ties with the prolific host due to comments he made on the June 30 episode of his YouTube show, Cannon’s Class.
“We have spoken with Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast Cannon’s Class on YouTube, which promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories,” Viacom said in a July 14 statement announcing his termination.
“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.”
Now The Shade Room is reporting that Cannon, whose media empire is worth approximately $50M, has decided to fight back.
“It is just that simple, Wild ’n Out belongs to Nick!” his team told the website in an exclusive statement. “The show was created by Nick Cannon with his idea and original thought. Wild ’n Out has brought billions of dollars in revenue to Viacom since 2015. And Nick deserves and has earned everything it is worth.”
“From the platforms he provides for other entertainers, the jobs he creates for Black youth, the time he gives to mentoring incarcerated men and women, to the money he gives back and puts into communities, homelessness, and people less fortunate.
He is constantly evolving both spiritually and mentally, as well as, taking action in learning, education and bridging the gap within the Jewish and African American communities so that it will allow us to build relationships, work together and learn from each other in order to move forward in equality.”
“If Viacom believes in growth, equality, education, then Viacom will do what is right and pay Nick what they owe, and give him his $1.5B brand,” they concluded.
At first defiant, Cannon has since profusely apologized for his words, and has of late been encouraging the unity of Blacks and Jews on his social media accounts. He recently announced that one of his ancestors is a ‘Spanish rabbi.’
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“My mother has been calling me every single day since this happened with so much family history,” Cannon told Rabbi Noam Marans on the online program AJC Advocacy Anywhere as reported by the NY Post. “My great-grandfather was a Spanish rabbi. He’s a Sephardic Jewish man.”
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