Nyle DiMarco took to Twitter on Saturday, May 27, to slam Jamie Foxx for making up sign language during his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The Dancing With the Stars season 22 winner, who is deaf, tweeted a video of Foxx, 49, making random gestures with his hands as Fallon, 42, transitioned to a commercial break on the Friday, May 26, episode of the late-night show. “@iamjamiefoxx, It is straight up disrespectful to make up sign language. Everything is in gibberish,” DiMarco, 28, wrote.
“Also- @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight how was this allowed? Where’s the cultural sensitivity. Not comedy when you make fun of others,” he added.
.@iamjamiefoxx, It is straight up disrespectful to make up sign language.
Everything is in gibberish. pic.twitter.com/X5AHkusq3o
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) May 27, 2017
Also- @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight how was this allowed?
Where's the cultural sensitivity. Not comedy when you make fun of others.
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) May 27, 2017
The America’s Next Top Model cycle 22 winner later shared an open letter addressed to the actor. “Jamie Foxx’s behavior with Jimmy Fallon on Fallon Tonight should not be tolerated anymore,” DiMarco wrote. “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.”
DiMarco concluded his letter by telling fans that his Nyle DiMarco Foundation is “working with other organizations to ensure every deaf child has a usable language before the age of 5,” adding, “What Foxx did on Fallon Tonight made our struggle that much harder.”
My response to Jamie Foxx making up sign language on Fallon Tonight with @jimmyfallon. pic.twitter.com/GpDN8iB9xL
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) May 27, 2017
Foxx has yet to publicly address the incident.
