Jonah Hill: It was disgusting and hurtful for me to call photographer ‘faggot’
Wolf of Wall Street star Jonah Hill has said he is “heartbroken” after a clip of him calling a photographer a “faggot” appeared online.
Appearing today on Howard Stern’s radio show, Hill said: “This is a heartbreaking situation for me.
“What I said in that moment was disgusting and a hurtful term. I should have said nothing or ‘fuck you’, instead I used a word which I don’t use in my personal life… it’s not part of my vernacular.
“I am upset because from the day I was born and publicly I have been a gay rights activist.
“You saw a 40 second video, this person had been following me around – just to give it some context, not excusing what I said in any way – this person had been following me around all day, saying hurtful things about my family, really hurtful things about me personally 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 affect how I feel about any group of people.
“I grew up with gay family members, I’m leaving here today to go spend the day with one of my co-workers and best friends, who is gay and going to get married and I’m going to stand at his wedding.
“I am not at all defending my choice of words but I am happy to be the poster boy for thinking about what you say and who those words, even if you don’t intend them in how they mean, they are rooted in hate and that is bullshit and I shouldn’t have said that.
“I am happy to take the heat for using this disgusting word. What I won’t allow, it would break my heart for anyone to think, especially with all the work I have done, that I would be against anyone for their sexuality.
“I’m pretty good at making movies, I am not good at being a famous person. If you call me ugly, if you call family members of mine drug addicts and maniacs I am eventually going to lose my cool.”
Listen to the interview below:
