The 'Django Unchained' actor is accused of making fun of the deaf community following his appearance on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'.
- May 28, 2017
AceShowbiz - Jamie Foxx comes under fire after his latest appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". Nyle DiMarco, the winner of "America's Next Top Model" and "Dancing with the Stars", slammed the actor for making up sign language and accused him of mocking the deaf community.
"@iamjamiefoxx, It is straight up disrespectful to make up sign language. Everything is in gibberish," DiMarco wrote on Twitter. Jimmy Fallon landed in hot water as well as the model added, "Also- @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight how was this allowed? Where's the cultural sensitivity. Not comedy when you make fun of others."
He later wrote an open letter, "Jamie Foxx's behavior with Jimmy Fallon on Fallon Tonight should not be tolerated anywhere. We simply do not make fun at the expense of other cultures especially those with a history of being marginalized. When we do this, progress takes a step backward."
"Sign Language is important to me because it's the bedrock of Deaf culture. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities says Sign Language is a human right of deaf people, and out of the 70 million worldwide, only 2|percent| have access to education in Sign Language," he continued.
"This is why I started the Nyle DiMarco Foundation. We are working with other organizations to ensure every deaf child has a usable language before the age of 5," he said. "What Foxx did on Fallon Tonight made our struggle that much harder."
.@iamjamiefoxx, It is straight up disrespectful to make up sign language.
Everything is in gibberish. pic.twitter.com/X5AHkusq3o
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) 27 Mei 2017
My response to Jamie Foxx making up sign language on Fallon Tonight with @jimmyfallon. pic.twitter.com/GpDN8iB9xL
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) 27 Mei 2017
