Liam Neeson has formally apologised for some controversial comments he made last month.
During an interview, the 66-year-old admitted that he walked the streets looking for a “black b*****d” to kill – when he found out that his friend had allegedly been raped.
Liam said: “She handled the situation of the rape in the most extraordinary way. But my immediate reaction was I asked, did she know who it was? No. What colour were they? She said it was a black person”
“I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I’d be… approached by somebody – I’m ashamed to say that – and I did it for maybe a week, hoping some “black b******d” would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could kill him.”
Naturally, Liam’s comments sparked serious backlash, and the red carpet premiere for his new film Cold Pursuit in New York was abruptly cancelled.
Weeks later, the actor has finally released an official apology.
Liam said in a statement, “Over the last several weeks, I have reflected on and spoken to a variety of people who were hurt by my impulsive recounting of a brutal rape of a dear female friend nearly 40 years ago and my unacceptable thoughts and actions at that time in response to this crime.”
“The horror of what happened to my friend ignited irrational thoughts that do not represent the person I am.”
“In trying to explain those feelings today, I missed the point and hurt many people at a time when language is so often weaponized and an entire community of innocent people are targeted in acts of rage,” he continued.
“What I failed to realize is that this is not about justifying my anger all those years ago, it is also about the impact my words have today. I was wrong to do what I did.
“I recognize that, although the comments I made do not reflect, in any way, my true feelings nor me, they were hurtful and divisive. I profoundly apologize,” he added.
