'The Tonight Show' canceled Norm Macdonald's appearance after he made controversial comments about Louis CK, Roseanne Bar, and the MeToo movement
- In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Tuesday, in advance of his upcoming Netflix show, comedian Norm Macdonald defended Roseanne Barr and Louis CK, and said he was "happy" that the #MeToo movement was "slowing down a bit."
- "The Tonight Show" canceled Macdonald's appearance on Tuesday night's episode "out of sensitvity" to its audience following the interview's publication.
- In the THR feature, Macdonald praised "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon for his "fun and silliness."
Jimmy Fallon's "The Tonight Show" canceled comedian Norm Macdonald's scheduled appearance on Tuesday night's episode following Macdonald's controversial comments about the #MeToo movement in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The show said it canceled the "SNL" alum's appearance "out of sensitivity" to its audience.
Macdonald, who is promoting his new Netflix series "Norm Macdonald Has a Show," which premieres Friday, defended Roseanne Barr and Louis CK in the THR interview. He also said he was "happy" that the #MeToo movement had "slowed down a bit."
"There are very few people that have gone through what they have, losing everything in a day," Macdonald said of Barr and CK. "Of course, people will go, 'What about the victims?' But you know what? The victims didn't have to go through that."
"The Tonight Show" gave the following statement regarding its decision to cancel:
"Out of sensitivity to our audience and in light of Norm Macdonald's comments in the press today, 'The Tonight Show' has decided to cancel his appearance on Tuesday's telecast."
To fill time, the show extended Matthew McConaughey's appearance.
In an ironic twist, Macdonald had also praised "The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon in the THR interview, particularly for his 2016 interview with Donald Trump that got tremendous backlash.
"He is just all about fun and silliness. That's what his audience wants," Macdonald said.
Macdonald apologized for his comments in a statement on Twitter Tuesday night: "Roseanne and Louis have both been very good friends of mine for many years. They both made terrible mistakes and I would never defend their actions. If my words sounded like I was minimizing the pain that their victims feel to this day, I am deeply sorry."