'Ink Master' judge Oliver Peck exits show over blackface photos

Oliver Peck, who appeared on Ink Master for 13 seasons, is departing the show amid a blackface scandal.

“After filming 13 great seasons of Ink Master, the producers and I have decided it’s best to part ways,” the tattoo artist, a judge on the Paramount Network show, said in a statement on Tuesday. “The offensive photos of me which recently surfaced from many years ago can only be a distraction to the amazing show I have loved being a part of and its many talented artists. I want to thank the show’s cast, crew, contestants and awesome fans. It’s been a blast and an honor and I wish my friends and colleagues the very best in whatever the future holds.”

The network also released a statement on Tuesday confirming it was parting ways with the tattoo shop owner.

“We, like many others, were appalled when we saw the photos of Oliver,” it said. “We were glad to see his apology and accept that he is taking full responsibility for the damaging impact of his actions. To our fans, thank you for your continued support.”

While Peck is leaving the show, he will appear in Season 13, which had wrapped. The show premiered on Tuesday.

Old photos of Peck, who was once married to Kat Von D, in blackface were discovered — including on his old MySpace page — and resurfaced. They showed him applying dark makeup to his face and chest. And he apparently did it more than once — there are photos of him in blackface as a basketball player and a superhero costume (with an “N” on his chest). They apparently were Halloween costumes.

When the photos first started circulating — and people called for him to be fired — Peck apologized.

“I want to profusely apologize for my completely inappropriate, insensitive, and immature behavior,” Peck said in an Instagram post, shortly after the photos began circulating on social media. “I hope that I’ve matured a great deal since then and I’m deeply sorry for everyone I’ve offended.”

Season 13 of the show, hosted by Dave Navarro, premiered Tuesday and will air 16 episodes as scheduled with Peck. The show follows 20 top tattoo artists vying for Ink Master title, a $100,000 cash prize and an editorial feature in Inked magazine.

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