Netizens Rip Chris Cuomo for Saying He's 'Black on the Inside'

CNN's anchor Chris Cuomo has come under fire on social media for comparing himself to black Americans.

“You know I am black on the inside,” Cuomo told his colleague Don Lemon, who asked if he knew the words to “Good Times”, a 1970's TV series that features the life of a black family from Chicago.

While Lemon refrained from commenting, Cuomo's words quickly went viral on Twitter.

Cuomo defended himself by saying that his joke was in fact expressed with “all respect to reality,” adding that “there is no understanding what it is to live as a black person in [A]merica if you are white but it is so important to listen.”

However, it did not stop social media users from posting ​facepalm reactions to his comments, with many slamming Cuomo for hypocrisy. Netizens pointed out that being a black person isn't something he can relate to, especially given his “money and privilege”, and accused the CNN anchor of cultural appropriation.

“Chris Cuomo just said to Don Lemon OUT LOUD on Wolf Blitzer’s CNN, “You know I’m Black on the inside,” and we had to turn off the television because I’m not here for that nonsense. @CNN needs to have some sensitivity training with their on-air personalities,” one user tweeted.

One user, however, read another meaning behind Cuomo's comments, sarcastically suggesting that when he spoke about being "black on the inside", he could have been referring to his heart.