For comedian and actor Anthony Anderson, stepping on stage to host the postponed Emmys on Monday night will represent the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do…” the 53-year-old Black-ish star told Entertainment Tonight recently. “I wanted it to happen years ago, but everything happens when it’s supposed to happen.” For many, however, the decision to let Anderson preside over television’s biggest night is a controversial one. His chequered past, which includes multiple sexual assault allegations, has sparked a growing backlash to his casting.
Earlier this week, screenwriter Alanna Bennett tweeted: “Anthony Anderson hosting the Emmys… do the producers just not Google these people?” The Sexual Violence Prevention Association went one step further, demanding that Fox remove Anderson as host and imploring both the Emmys and Fox “to do better due diligence when selecting hosts in the future”.
