Disgraced comedian Jimmy Kimmel has fled LA for a secret location in an attempt to avoid the race row sparked after photos emerged of him ...
Disgraced comedian Jimmy Kimmel has fled LA for a secret location in an attempt to avoid the race row sparked after photos emerged of him doing skits while in blackface, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Kimmel is also under fire after being caught using the n word repeatedly while imitating rapper Snoop Dogg in newly unearthed audio that dates from 1996.
In the song, Kimmel can be heard rapping: 'Me and my n***er down in LBC, we'll smoke that motherf***er Christmas tree.'
Disgraced comedian Jimmy Kimmel has fled LA for a secret location in an attempt to avoid the race row sparked after photos emerged of him doing skits while in blackface
Kimmel is also under fire after being caught using the n word repeatedly while imitating rapper Snoop Dogg in newly unearthed audio that dates from 1996
Kimmel had also come under fire for wearing blackface in TV sketches dating back to the 90s in which he impersonated the likes of NBA player Karl Malone (left) and Oprah Winfrey (right).
The track repeats the racial slur several times, including 'fat n***er in a sleigh giving sh*t away' and also 'n***er in the manger.'
On Tuesday, Kimmel finally apologized in a video message in which the skits were described as 'embarrassing' and he claimed to have 'evolved and matured' over the last 20 years.
He added: 'There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke.
'I believe that I have evolved and matured over the last twenty-plus years, and I hope that is evident to anyone who watches my show.
'I know that this will not be the last I hear of this and that it will be used again to try to quiet me. I love this country too much to allow that.
'I won't be bullied into silence by those who feign outrage to advance their oppressive and genuinely racist agendas.'
Friends of the 52-year-old said he has now left town in a bid to avoid the row and is hoping his apology will see him left alone.
A source told DailyMail.com: 'Jimmy said he is getting out of town to duck this c***. He just wants to be left alone with his family.'
A representative for Kimmel insisted that the break is a vacation planned well in advance and added that he also intends to take the next two summers off to spend time with his family.
Kimmel had come under increasing pressure to apologize after fellow comedian Jimmy Fallon issued a mea culpa on June 2 after footage emerged of him in blackface while impersonating Chris Rock for an SNL skit in 2000.
In a statement issued via Twitter, Fallon, 45, said: 'In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface.
'There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.'
Until Tuesday, Kimmel had resisted pressure to apologize for his own skits – one of which featured him impersonating Oprah Winfrey – but had taken himself off air for the summer.
He had also come under fire for wearing blackface in TV sketches dating back to the 90s in which he impersonated the likes of NBA player Karl Malone.
He and his family are currently holed up in a luxury location outside of LA for a summer vacation, which Kimmel claimed had been planned long before the race storm broke.
However, DailyMail.com can reveal that Kimmel has been under pressure to apologize for his blackface past for more than a year, with singer Nick Cannon repeatedly calling the comedian out on social media from February 2019 and inviting him to talk.
In a post on February 9 2019 that tagged Fallon and Kimmel and included video of them dressed in blackface, he said: 'You know I'm always on the side of the comedian and never pander to the sensitive, but I feel there needs to be some 'truth & reconciliation' discussions and teachable moments amongst our communities.
ailyMail.com can reveal that Kimmel has been under pressure to apologize for his blackface past for more than a year, with singer Nick Cannon (pictured) repeatedly calling the comedian out on social media from February 2019 and inviting him to talk
'I'm ready and willing for the discourse, so who wants to step up to the table first? In the meantime, I'll just leave this right here. Tell the Jimmys to holla at me!'
A follow up post on the same day showed photos of the pair in blackface, with the caption: 'Happy 'BLACKFACE' History Month. I'm sure we can expect some more apologies.'
A source close to Cannon said: 'Nick has been reaching out to Kimmel for over a year about this. All he wanted was for him to come to the table, sit and talk about what happened.
'When a plea to talk like his goes unanswered for so long, it leads to the build-up of the kind of rage we're seeing today.'
Representatives for Kimmel and Cannon have been approached for comment.
Jimmy Fallon issued a mea culpa on June 2 after footage emerged of him in blackface while impersonating Chris Rock for an SNL skit in 2000
No comments