Actor Jonah Hill gave an extensive apology on the Howard Stern Show Tuesday morning for a homophobic slur he fired off at a paparazzo this weekend.
A video posted on TMZ captured the star shouting, “Suck my d***, you f*****!”
Hill, who will soon appear in the comedy sequel 22 Jump St, apologized for his “disgusting” words and clarified that he was upset because “from the day I was born, and publicly, I’ve been a gay-rights activist.” Hill said that what truly disappointed him was that the word he used wasn’t a part of his daily lexicon, as he grew up with gay family members and will stand in a gay friend and coworker’s wedding.
“This person had been following me around all day, had been saying hurtful things about my family, really hurtful things about me personally,” Hill explained. “And I played into exactly what he wanted and lost my cool. And in that moment, I said a disgusting word that does not at all reflect how I feel about any group of people… I’m not at all defending my choice of words, but I’m happy to be the poster boy for thinking about what you say and how those words — even if you don’t intend them — and how they’re rooted in hate and that’s bullshit and I shouldn’t have said that.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com