Polarizing shock jock Don Imus has died at 79

Polarizing shock jock Don Imus has died at 79, Don Imus was hospitalized on Christmas Eve and died three days later in College Station, Texas, with his family by his side, the Associated Press reported. As the news spread, reactions to his death were mixed, to say the least.

Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough, paid tribute to his MSNBC predecessor, tweeting that the show “owes its format to Don Imus. No one else could have gotten away with that much talk on cable news. Thanks for everything, Don, and Godspeed.” CBS correspondent Anthony Mason recalled a 2018 interview with Imus that took place shortly before the Radio Hall of Fame inductee’s final broadcast. “Love him or hate him — & he gave his audience cause to do both — he was a giant in radio,” Mason tweeted.

The Huffington Post broke the news about Imus’ passing with this headline: Don Imus, Racist Radio Show Host, Dead At 79,” followed by a story highlighting his numerous controversies. Writer Rae Sanni, of “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” called Imus’ death “a victory for nappy headed hos everywhere.” Charlotte Clymer, press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, called Imus a “racist, sexist clown,” adding that “it’s awful seeing notable white dudes in media go out of their way to say ‘yes but so important to radio…'”