Liam Neeson Issues Apology for Controversial Rape Revenge Story

Liam Neeson is apologizing after telling a controversial story.

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In the story, he explained that a friend of his was “brutally raped.” He asked her the race of the individual who committed the crime and, upon finding out the man was black, tried to hunt down the “black b-stard” who raped her.

“I’m ashamed to say that – and I did it for maybe a week, hoping some [Neeson gestures air quotes with his fingers] ‘black b*stard’ would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could…kill him,” he said during an interview in February with The Independent.

Liam is now reflecting on his words.

“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. 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 said in a statement.

The story was originally told in response to the question of how he tapped into a revenge mentality for Cold Pursuit.