Resurfaced audio and video clips of Jimmy Kimmel performing in blackface and using the N-word have prompted outrage just as the talk show host has announced he's taking a summer holiday hiatus from his show.
In a Christmas parody song from 1996, Kimmel impersonates rapper Snoop Dogg while using the N-word several times. The track includes lines like: "I told that motherf**ker Santa, bring a pick for my afro."
In a 2013 podcast obtained by Fox News, Kimmel reportedly discusses the track, admitting he used to impersonate Snoop Dogg "by only saying 'You know what I'm saying?'"
Kimmel also joked that he "preferred" to imitate black people when asked by someone on the podcast. In the same episode, Kimmel allegedly mimicked the voice of black comedian George Wallace in what the host called a "crazy black voice".
Last week, Kimmel's announcement that he was taking some time off for the summer coincided with the resurgence of several skits from his Comedy Central series The Man Show, which ran from 1999 - 2004. Kimmel wore blackface while impersonating NBA star Karl Malone and fellow talk show host Oprah Winfrey. While playing 'Oprah Jimfrey', Kimmel wore a fat suit and used a Latino maid as a workout mat.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live host did not mention the blackface controversy when announcing his time off, saying "there's nothing wrong, my family is healthy, I'm healthy, I just need a couple of months off".
Last month, the Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon apologised for performing in blackface in 2000, calling the move to impersonate comedian Chris Rock a "terrible decision".
Kimmel has made no such apology and is also coming under fire for making "gross comments" during a 2009 interview with Megan Fox in which she shared a story about playing an overly sexual role as an extra in a Michael Bay movie at age 15.
