Jay Leno Apologizes for Past Jokes About Asians: Not ‘Cancel Culture’ But a ‘Legitimate Wrong … On My Part’

Shannon Finney/Getty Images

Jay Leno has issued an apology for jokes he’s told about Asians throughout his decades-long career as a talk show host and comedian.

Leno addressed the subject during a Zoom call with Guy Aoki, the leader of activist group Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA).

“At the time I did those jokes, I genuinely thought them to be harmless,” said Leno. “I was making fun of our enemy North Korea, and like most jokes, there was a ring of truth to them.”

Leno continued, “At the time, there was a prevailing attitude that some group is always complaining about something, so don’t worry about it. Whenever we received a complaint, there would be two sides to the discussion: Either ‘We need to deal with this’ or ‘Screw ‘em if they can’t take a joke.’ Too many times I sided with the latter even when in my heart I knew it was wrong.”

The former Tonight Show host added, “I am issuing this apology. I do not consider this particular case to be another example of cancel culture but a legitimate wrong that was done on my part. MANAA has been very gracious in accepting my apology. I hope that the Asian American community will be able to accept it as well, and I hope I can live up to their expectations in the future.”

In 2019, it was reported that former America’s Got Talent judge Gabrielle Union complained to producers after Leno cracked a joke backstage about Koreans eating dogs. The former late-night host refused to comment on the controversy at the time.

Leno’s apology comes at a time when anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise, which many have attributed to rhetoric blaming China for the spread of the coronavirus. Six of the eight victims killed in last week’s shooting spree at three Atlanta-area spas were Asian women.