Trevor Noah has taken to Twitter to respond to those accusing the South African comedian of posting misogynistic and anti-Semitic tweets.
In a tweet posted on Tuesday afternoon, Noah said, “To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.”
Noah, 31, who has been tapped to replace Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” came under fire early Tuesday when fans found old tweets on his Twitter feed that many viewed as offensive towards women and Jewish people.
“South Africans know how to recycle like Israelis know how to be peaceful,” Noah said in one tweet from 2010.
In another tweet, he poked fun at overweight women: “Oh yea, the weekend. People are gonna get drunk & think that I’m sexy!-fat chicks everywhere.”
Scroll down to read some of the tweets.
Comedy Central has since come out in support of the comedian. In a statement to TheWrap, the network said:
“Like many comedians, Trevor Noah pushes boundaries; he is provocative and spares no one, himself included. To judge him or his comedy based on a handful of jokes is unfair. Trevor is a talented comedian with a bright future at Comedy Central.”
To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) March 31, 2015