Now that the controversy has somewhat died down, Nick Cannon is speaking out about the whiteface backlash he has received while promoting his album White People Dance Music as white alter ego Connor Smallnut.
Cannon appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday and defended his actions, saying he doesn’t regret it because it’s a conversation that needed to happen.
“I knew it would spark some controversy, but I felt like it's a conversation that we needed because we all have differences we embrace. I talk about it in my standup all the time. It is not a new conversation, but a topic of sensationalism,” he told George Stephanopoulos, USA Today reports.
He added, “Everybody's really sensitive when it comes to race and that's the reason I did it.”
Cannon revealed himself as a white man on Twitter, writing “Damn I didn't know it was going to be this hard being White! ... I'm exhausted with all this "privilege" LOL #WhitePeopleProblems.”
He also said on GMA he doesn’t understand the term “whiteface,” saying it was completely made up. “Blackface is about oppression,” he said.
His new album comes out on Tuesday.