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Jimmy Fallon in an old video from his 'Saturday Night Live' days . (Photo | Twitter)

Jimmy Fallon apologizes for wearing blackface in old 'SNL' clip

Fallon is impersonating fellow "SNL" cast member Chris Rock in the clip which is two decades old.

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LOS ANGELES:  Popular TV host Jimmy Fallon has tendered an apology after an old video from his "Saturday Night Live" days resurfaced in which he is seen performing in blackface.

Fallon is impersonating fellow "SNL" cast member Chris Rock in the clip which is two decades old.

It has been retweeted by many users on Twitter, accompanied by the hashtag #jimmyfallonisover.

The NBC late-night host posted a brief statement on the microblogging site and apologised for making a "terrible decision" of wearing the blackface, a type of makeup used by a non-black performer in an attempt to play a person of colour.

"In 2000, while on 'SNL', I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable," Fallon, 45, said.

Fallon's infamous "SNL" sketch has resurfaced and criticized time and again on social media, but this is the first time the talk show host has addressed it.