April Ryan, an MSNBC analyst and esteemed journalist, has publicly apologized to comedian Amber Ruffin following the abrupt cancellation of Ruffin’s planned performance at the upcoming White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner.
Initially, WHCA President Eugene Daniels highlighted Amber Ruffin as the headliner for the prestigious event set for April 26, emphasizing that her “unique talents are the ideal fit for this current political and cultural climate.”However, on March 29, he unexpectedly revoked this offer, declaring:
“The WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year.”
In the wake of this decision, April Ryan took to Instagram to voice her support for Ruffin:
“This message is specifically for Amber Ruffin. From one Black woman to another. I’m outraged. You were lifted up publicly as the entertainment for the WHCA dinner in three weeks. And publicly this weekend, you were canceled.”
Ryan, who was recognized with the Journalist of the Year Award by the National Association of Black Journalists in 2017, expressed her dismay further:
“I’m outraged. It’s humiliating. From one Black woman to another. I wasn’t on the board. I didn’t have any decision-making. But from one Black woman to another, I understand and it’s not okay.”
She closed her message with a heartfelt apology to Ruffin:
“It’s unfortunate that you got caught in the middle of this WHCA fight with the Trump White House. I am here to tell you I’m sorry. I apologize.”
Cancellation of Amber Ruffin’s Host Role at WHCA Dinner
The WHCA dinner serves as a critical fundraiser that provides scholarships and mentorship to aspiring journalism students. President Daniels, in a message to the media, remarked on a “re-envisioning”of this year’s dinner tradition, promising to reveal more details soon:
“For the past couple of weeks, I have been planning a re-envisioning of our dinner tradition for this year. As the date nears, I will share more details of the plans in place to honor journalistic excellence and a robust, independent media covering the most powerful office in the world.”
While Daniels did not specify the exact reasons behind Ruffin’s cancellation, it was reported that the White House expressed discontent with the decision to feature her performance. Moreover, there were other points of contention, such as restrictions on Associated Press access to specific events.
Amber Ruffin, an Emmy-nominated writer known for her work on Late Night with Seth Meyers since 2014, commented on The Daily Beast podcast about the WHCA’s request for her to maintain balance in her performance:
“Make sure that…that you give it to both sides.”
She strongly rejected this notion, saying:
“There’s no way I’m gonna be fr*aking doing that dude. Under no circumstances.”
Furthermore, Ruffin pointed out that past feedback indicated that the comedic entertainment at previous WHCA dinners had been inconsistent. Being a prominent voice on CNN’s comedy-news show Have I Got News For You, she has often been critical of former President Donald Trump, leading many to speculate that her political stance played a role in the cancellation of her performance.
Nevertheless, podcast hosts remarked that it is tradition for WHCA comedic performances to target humor at whoever is the incumbent president, underscoring the oddity of the current situation.