Re: Johnny Depp blasts Bush

[Peter McLaren <mclaren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I believe these were the same Depp comments that, a week later, he
shamelessly took back.




Depp apologizes


Actor says his 'America is dumb' comment was 'insanely twisted' by Stern.
AP       2003-09-06 03:46:00  
 
LOS ANGELES -- Johnny Depp said he intended no "anti-American sentiment" in
comparing the country to a dumb puppy and blamed news reports for
misrepresenting his opinions. Depp, star of the summer hit movie Pirates of
the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, apologized in a statement to
those "who were offended, affected or hurt by this insanely twisted
deformation of my words and intent." Stern, the German magazine that
interviewed the actor, stood by its story.

Depp was quoted as saying, "America is dumb, is something like a dumb puppy
that has big teeth -- that can bite and hurt you, aggressive."

In a statement Thursday, the 40-year-old actor complained "the inaccurate
and out-of-context misquote" was "virulently spreading in the news."

"Taken in context, what I was saying was that, compared to Europe, America
is a very young country and we are still growing as a nation. It is a shame
that the metaphor I used was taken so radically out of context and slung
about irresponsibly by the news media," Depp said.

"There was no anti-American sentiment. In fact, it was just the opposite,"
he said. "I am an American. I love my country and have great hopes for it.
It is for this reason that I speak candidly and sometimes critically about
it. I have benefited greatly from the freedom that exists in my country and
for this I am eternally grateful."

Stern's news editor, Hans-Peter Junker, said yesterday the quotes were "not
taken out of context."




Copyright © The London Free Press 2001,2002,2003

 


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