Liam Neeson: I admit how I felt – but I am not racist
Written by News on 05/02/2019
Liam Neeson has spoken out for the first time after his admission about once having violent thoughts about black people, saying he is not racist.
It comes following an interview in which the star revealed that a female friend had been raped by a black man years ago, and that he reacted in a way that he was “ashamed” of.
His comments were met with outrage, with many people calling for his films to be boycotted.
Now, Neeson has spoken to Good Morning America to address the backlash.
He said: “I am not racist. This was nearly 40 years ago.”
Neeson said he quickly became shocked by his feelings and sought help from a priest afterwards.
He said that if his friend had told him she had been raped by an Irish, Scottish or Lithuanian man, “I know I would have felt the same”.
“I was trying to show honour to my… to stand up for my dear friend in this terrible, medieval fashion,” he said.
“I’m a fairly intelligent guy and that’s why it kind of shocked me when I came down to Earth after having these horrible feelings. Luckily, no violence occurred, ever.”
Neeson admitted that at the time, “I did want to lash out, yes”.
He continued: “Because my friend was brutally raped and I thought I was defending her honour, and I admit that. It’s a learning curve.
“We all pretend we’re all kind of politically correct. In this country – it’s the same in my own country too – you sometimes just scratch the surface and you discover this racism. And bigotry. And it’s there.”
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(c) Sky News 2019: Liam Neeson: I admit how I felt – but I am not racist
