Eddie Hemmings accused of racial slur after confusing Djimon Hounsou for Samuel L Jackson during World Club Challenge coverage

The Sky Sports presenter cleared up the case of mistaken identity later in the match but took aim at those that had accused him or racism

Sky Sports presenter Eddie Hemmings (Sky Sports)

Sky Sports commentator triggered allegations of racism after mistaking Oscar-nominated Djimon Hounsou for Samuel L Jackson during their live coverage of Sunday’s World Club Challenge match between Super League champions St Helens and the NRL Grand Final winners South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Hounsou was in the stands at Saints’ Langtree Park alongside the Rabbitohs’ co-owner and fellow actor Russell Crowe, with the pair both featuring in the 2000 screenplay Gladiator.

They were joined by former Rabbitohs star turned rugby union convert Sam Burgess for the match, and it was when all three were pictured together that Hemmings made the comment that led to the allegations on social media.

St Helens 0 South Sydney Rabbitohs 39 match report

Hemmings said: “Samuel L Jackson alongside him, wasn't it? Looked like him. Maybe it was somebody doing an impersonation.”

Sam Burgess stands alongside Djimon Hounsou (Getty Images)

Some Twitter users immediately accused Hemmings of making a racial slur in assuming it was Jackson, but he would later address those comments online during Sky Sports’ live coverage of the game.

“Off the field we do have of course Russell Crowe with his Hollywood friends,” Hemmings added.

“The gentleman there who I tongue-in-cheek suggested looked a little bit like Samuel L. Jackson but I can tell you it's the man who played Juba in Russell Crowe's Oscar-winning movie The Gladiator.

“His names' Djimon Hounsou, he's an actor model from America, a big pal of Russell's, came up here on the helicopter ride with him and apparently social media has lit up with certain comments this evening.

“Pity some people don't have things better to do on a Sunday night but anyway there you are that's the record cleaned up for you and I hope that you're enjoying every second of this match here.”

Burgess speaks with Rabbitohs co-owner Crowe (Getty Images)

Actor and South Sydney Rabbitohs co-owner Russell Crowe (Getty Images)

The cast of the film Gladiator at the premiere in 2000 which included both Hounsou (second right) and Crowe (right) (Getty Images)

Hemmings was also criticised for his response by Twitter users.

One named @tweetypie90_ said: “Eddie Hemmings needs to take a good look at himself rather than wondering why viewers are complaining about his racist comments @SkySportsRL.”

@IWFICON said: “Perhaps Eddie Hemmings should do his research rather than having a go at viewers for pointing out his mistakes? @SkySportsRL.”

It’s not the first time that Jackson has been publicly mistaken for someone else, as the video below demonstrates.

KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin was hugely apologetic after confusing Jackson for fellow actor Lawrence Fishburne, but Jackson didn’t let him off lightly as he continued to rip into Rubin for nearly five minutes.

The video, as predicted by Rubin himself, quickly went viral, with Jackson taking the reporter through a list of black actors that he, in fact, is not.