America’s No Longer Got Nick Cannon

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Maddie Somers

On Monday, February 13th, Nick Cannon announced that he will be leaving America’s Got Talent due to some issues he had with the bosses of the show. According to Cannon, he will be vacating his hosting position on the show after eight seasons because he was “threatened with termination” by executives at NBC. According to NBC executives, Cannon made controversial jokes at the expense of the show on his Showtime comedy special, “Stand Up, Don’t Shoot.” Although Cannon has not specified which jokes NBC took offense with, he did state that NBC claimed they would argue that he was in breach of contract for negatively representing the network’s name during his show. In the beginning of Cannon’s show, he stated that the way he would be talking that night would seem much different than his America’s Got Talent persona. He claims that NBC’s threats of termination were “just another way to silence and control an outspoken voice who often battles the establishment.” He also stated that as much as he has enjoyed working on the show, he refuses the stay on a show that frowns on Freedom of Speech.

Nick Cannon took this feud with NBC to social media on Monday. He posted a photo to Instagram standing on the America’s Got Talent stage and captioned the photo with a long paragraph explaining why he is leaving the show. Cannon included that he “finds himself in a dark place having to make a decision that I wish I didn’t have to, but as a man, an artist, and a voice for my community, I will not be silenced, controlled or treated like a piece of property. There is no amount of money worth my dignity or my integrity”. Prior to this post, Cannon was posting photos with quotes about depression on his Instagram.  For the first time since 2009, Nick Cannon will not be hosting America’s Got Talent, and instead will continue to stand behind his personal beliefs and stand up for what he feels is right.