Norm Macdonald’s ‘Tonight Show’ Appearance Canceled After Controversial Comments
Norm MacDonald’s appearance on tonight’s The Tonight Show has been canceled at the last minute.
“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,” a spokesperson for NBC’s late-night talk show said Tuesday night.
To make up for Macdonald’s absence, a segment with guest Matthew McConaughey will run longer.
The Tonight Show‘s decision to pull Macdonald from the guest lineup follows an interview with the Saturday Night Live alum posted by THR earlier on Tuesday to promote Macdonald’s new show on Netflix. In the interview, Macdonald indicated that he was glad that the #MeToo reckoning in Hollywood seemed to have “slowed down a little bit” and spoke in defense of Louis C.K. and Roseanne Barr following their scandals.
In one of the most controversial parts of the interview, which triggered backlash, he said of C.K. and Barr, “There are very few people that have gone through what they have, losing everything in a day. Of course, people will go, ‘What about the victims?’ But you know what? The victims didn’t have to go through that.”
He later clarified his comments and apologized on Twitter.
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.
— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) September 11, 2018
Macdonald’s Netflix program, Norm MacDonald Has a Show, remains on track for a Sept. 14 launch.
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