Following weeks of mounting controversy, the 66-year-old actor has revealed that he is ‘profoundly’ sorry for his shocking comments about seeking vengeance on a black person after the rape of a friend.
The Taken star said that the event ‘ignited irrational thoughts’ and admitted that he completely missed the mark with his opinion.
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I’m sorry: Liam Neeson has apologised for his ‘black b*****d’ rape revenge comments and claimed it doesn’t represent who he is as a person in an official statement
As reported in Variety, Liam’s statement read: ‘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,’ he said in a statement.
‘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.
Liam Neeson wanted ‘to kill’ a black person after friend was raped
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Regret: Following weeks of mounting controversy, the 66-year-old actor has revealed that he is sorry for his shocking comments about seeking vengeance on a black person after the rape of a friend
‘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.’
The Schindler’s List star was branded ‘racist’ following an interview where he revealed he had spent a week prowling the streets with a cosh to murder a black man 40 years ago, when he learned a loved one had allegedly been raped while he was overseas.
During a chat with the Independent to promote his new film Cold Pursuit, the actor described how he walked the streets looking for a ‘black b*****d’ to kill in a misguided attempt at revenge.
Following a worldwide backlash, Liam appeared on Good Morning America in February to insist he is not a racist and revealed he had sought help from a Catholic priest after the incident.
In Cold Pursuit – sees the action star take on the role of a father intent on revenge after his son has been killed in a drug feud, with Liam revealing he understands his character’s motivation.
Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid clash over Liam Neeson racism row
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Missed the mark: The Taken star said that the event ‘ignited irrational thoughts’ and admitted that he completely missed the mark with his opinion
Liam explained: ‘There’s something primal – God forbid you’ve ever had a member of your family hurt under criminal conditions.’
He said that after coming home from an overseas trip years ago he was told a loved one, who he does not name, had 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.’
Liam Neeson: I went to priest over ‘primal urge for revenge’
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GMA: Following a worldwide backlash, Liam appeared on Good Morning America in February to insist he is not a racist
He went on: ‘It took me a week, maybe a week and a half, to go through that. She would say, “Where are you going?” and I would say, “I’m just going out for a walk.” You know? “What’s wrong?” “No no, nothing’s wrong.”‘
He admitted it was a ‘horrible’ time and he’s learned a valuable lesson from his ‘awful’ reaction. He added that growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles has given him insight into the ‘primal need for revenge’ and how destructive that can be.
Following Liam’s shock interview and the backlash it received, the actor cancelled his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert while the red carpet premiere for Cold Pursuit in New York was abruptly cancelled, with the star missing the screening.
Neeson says he’s not racist after shocking remarks
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TV appearance: The star said on Live with Kelly and Ryan show, he had gone to church when he became ‘scared’ and realised he had wanted to ‘unleash’ murder on a stranger for his friend
However, despite the furore over his admission that he once went out looking to kill a black man, his latest film took in millions of dollars in its opening weekend, with footballer John Barnes and stars Michelle Rodriguez and Whoopi Goldberg defending Liam.
Liam, who was later hugged and kissed by black audience members on the Live with Kelly and Ryan show, said he had gone to church when he became ‘scared’ and realised he had wanted to ‘unleash’ murder on a stranger for his friend, who he said died five years ago.
It’s like Ku Klux Klan stuff: Piers Morgan on Liam Neeson comments
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New role: In Cold Pursuit, it sees the star take on the role of a father intent on revenge after his son has been killed in a drug feud, with Liam revealing he understands his character’s motivation (pictured in character)
He said: ‘I did seek help. I went to a priest, who heard my confession and also later confided in two friends and would go out power-walking for two hours a day to get this [anger] out of me.’
GMA host Robins Roberts asked him if he ‘understood the pain of a black person’ hearing his words.
He replied: ‘Absolutely, you’re absolutely right. And at the time, even though this was nearly 40 years ago, I didn’t think about that. It was this primal hatred, I guess, that really shocked me, when I eventually came down to earth and saw what I was doing, looking for a fight.’
When asked how he would feel if his unnamed friend’s attacker was white he said: ‘If he was Irish, a Scot or Brit or a Lithuanian. I know I would have had the same reaction.’
