William Shatner Slams George Takei: "There Is A Psychosis There" (VIDEO)

William Shatner has spoken out about George "Sulu" Takei's wedding snub and put a video on YouTube slamming his former "Star Trek" costar. On the video he refers to Takei's recent marriage to partner Brad Altman and the multitude of press stories Takei cooperated with talking about his decision not to invite Shatner to the wedding. Scroll down to watch the video or read what Shatner says:

'The whole thing makes me feel badly, poor man. There is such a sickness there. It's so patently obvious that there is a psychosis there. I don't know what his original thing about me was. I have no idea.

'I didn't read his book that was printed many years ago, but apparently I didn't let somebody have a close-up. I literally don't know him.

'I didn't know him very well on the series. He would come in for a day or two, as evidenced by the part he played. Then on the movies, there occasionally. I didn't know the man.

'But he has continued to speak badly about me for all these years. Obviously, hiding his homosexuality - talk about festering and not living the truth of your life and feeling badly about yourself - and being fearful somebody would find out about this terrible, terrible secret, so he thought.

'Finally at the age of, I think, 70, he decides to come out of the closet and say, "I'm gay."

'Like, who cares? Be gay. Don't be gay. That's up to you George.'...

'You would think he had this epiphany and say - because he and I don't have many years left in this world - "I wish him well. I'm so happy that I wish him well."

'But instead what he does is he makes this big deal about not inviting me to his wedding.

'If I was such a terrible force in his life - even some 40-odd years later, because I've not seen him - that I effect his marriage where he has to isolate it, what kind of sickness is going on in the man?

Why would he go out of his way to denegrate me? It's sad that the man can't find enough peace in his life to either say "Be positive" and say "I forgive him, whatever those hurts were", or to shut up about it.

'It's sad. I feel nothing but pity for him.'

Comments

[ProudLiberalDan]

The other important issue and I think Shatner is right on this is forgiveness.

Whatever Shatner did to Takei forty years ago, or whatever Takei thinks Shatner did to him forty years ago in the past.

If they were not close friends in real life, Takei was under no obligation to invite Shatner to his wedding, of course. But I think Shatner is reacting to this sense of bitterness Takei expresses. It cannot be easy to be a gay, Asian-American actor in Hollywood. It's not even easy to be a straight, white, male, All-American actor in Hollywood. So if it is envy or resentment, justifiable or not, I think Shatner is right on this part for all of us:

'You would think he had this epiphany and say - because he and I don't have many years left in this world - "I wish him well. I'm so happy that I wish him well."

None of us has infinite time in this world. And we'd all be better off, myself included, to forgive and let go, so we can be happier with all the blessings we do have.

[ProudLiberalDan]

If Willian Shatner and George Takei were not close friends, but simply co-workers forty years ago, why would one be invited to either's wedding?

I think it was how George Takei stated why he didn't invite Shatner to the wedding. It's a tough question. Wouldn't a simple, "we wanted to keep it small to our close personal friends" been sufficient?

Then it seems Shatner also has the capacity to make everything about him.

Whatever.

I'm still a huge Star Trek fan. As an actor myself I certainly know from experience that the apperance of a close knit ensemble cast does not life-long bonds make.

Think about it, Star Trek ran for three seasons and was canceled. It was only when the show took off in syndication that it became a cultural icon. The actors working together at the time were simply actors working together on a show. There was no way they could have seen they'd be lumped together for 40 years because their show would become a huge part of pop culture AFTER they had stopped working together.

That Shatner and Takei have personal issues between them in real life doesn't at all diminish my love for the franchise. Kirk and Sulu are creations of writers and actors. I can differentiate between Shatner and Kirk and between Takei and Sulu.

[piul05]

"As an actor myself I certainly know from experience that the apperance of a close knit ensemble cast does not life-long bonds make."

Are you Master Yoda?

[lokywoky]

Because of Shatner's way of talking obtusely, most of the posters on this thread have missed the point.

Shatner had no expectations of being invited to the wedding. In fact, it is pretty clear to me at least, that he didn't care if he was invited or not. Wasn't planning to go.

What he did care about was the fact that when asked, Takei made a big 'drama' deal about why he wasn't inviting Shatner. He could have just said that they weren't that close. Which is the truth. And that would have been enough and we would not be having this discussion.

Shatner is correct - If Takei had that much of a problem with Shatner from 40 years ago - he really needs to forgive. Otherwise it will continue to poison what is left of his life, and possibly his new marriage as well. I hope he can do that and stop letting whatever problem he has/had with Shatner control his life.

[peepeeray]

>

Is Shatner talking about his bald head?

[Elis]

hmmm....Shatner is, by all reports, extremely rich, had a pretty regular career (even if he is rather a ham, he's had a lot of work over the years), and Takei...where's he been all these years? He makes a Star Trek movie now and then-and plays what amounts to a bit part at that. I think its all jealousy and not making the big bucks, on Georgie's part.
And, who cares if he's gay. if he and his husband are happy and in love, more power to them. Too bad they took so long to come out of the closet, when actors and other people in the news have been doing it for years.

[deminmo]

Although I don't support same sex marriages,
I think with any marriage, if you don't want someone spoiling
your day, for whatever reason, then you have a right not to invite
them. Shatner has never gotten beyond the character he played
on Star Trek. No matter what role he plays it still looks like
"Captain Kirk".

[Eric8869]

Why dont you support gay marriage? I want to hear this one

[WasteNJ]

Shatner can do no wrong, he's one of the funniest guys around and isn't afraid to laugh at himself. Of course Star Trek and TJ Hooker were cheesy, and..?

[bryand1]

Shatner's the most famous terrible actor who ever lived...and that's saying something. He epitomizes cheesiness and extreme self-regard. At least he's got money to go along with that load of crap...

[piul05]

Well, at least he knows his limitations turns them into good, lighthearted comedy stuff - like when he was "the Giant Head" in "Third Rock from the Sun".

I'd rather have that than otherwise accomplished actors like Jack Nicholson who only recently realized that he shouldn't be playing romantic parts with actresses young enough to be his granddaughters.

[billbb]

Shatner's ego problem, maybe, is that he always wants to be the star: the bride at every wedding; the baby at every baptism; the corpse at every funeral.

Takei and Shatner worked together decades ago, when homophobia was quite well accepted. Is it any wonder that a self-centered womanizer like Shatner wouldn't have any empath for the difficulties of a gay Asian actor?

[tuttlemsm]

Am I the only one here who understands the difference between fantasy and reality?

Takei and Shatner starred together on a TV show forty years ago. They're not pals. They just worked together. Forty years ago.

You invite people to a wedding that you're close to. Takei doesn't owe Shatner an invite just because they played characters that are associated together in the imagination of Popular Culture.

[skatscan]

I always put the idea of a popular band getting back together again in the context of my life. I mean who is clamoring for the old gang of Ledgewood Rickel Homecenter of the mid 80's to get together again? Oh please make it happen. They were co-workers and they weren't close. No more, no less.

[tuttlemsm]

Exactly.

[TheAndrew]

Ask Harlan Ellison what he thinks of Bill.

[ResistanceisFutile]

Bill, your condition is known as megalomania.

[shengirl]

Maybe your over the top reactions to being snubbed are displaying why you were snubbed. Loved your tv, movie, and commercial career but really, with this attitude I wouldn't want you at my wedding, either. Get over yourself.

[gascelebrations]

No joke. Who's the real dramaqueen here?

[Shannon2008]

I think he feels slighted for not being invited to the guys wedding. It sounds like he feels like he was friendly to Takai but somehow Takei prejudge him and carried around resentment of Shatner. These two have issues, and it sounds like they should share the blame for the bad feelings.

[rayy]

He seems to be making a big deal about it here. Calling someone psychotic is not a classy way to treat someone you "wish well".

Maybe if he's serious, he should ask Sulu what he did wrong. Or just let it go!

[johjac]

Yeah, like he did with Nichelle when he came to her home to 'picked-her-brain' for a book he was writing. They'd finished the interview and as he prepared to leave Nichelle asked him "Now do you want to know what we R`E`A`L`L`Y thought about you?" Needless to say, he got quite a EARFUL! He told the story years ago on The Tonight show and from his expressions you could see that he was genuinely s`h`o`c`k`e`d to hear what she had to say but, as usual, he still managed to laugh at himself! He's such a card - that Bill Shatner!

[cabgx2]

It's Mad Cow Disease. DENNY CRANE!!!

[piul05]

I love Denny Crane - it's interesting how Shatner took all the negative comments about himself ( being a ham, egocentric, etc) and turned it into a great character. His ability for self-deprecating humor, as well as his succesful comedy partnership with Candice Bergen (which started in the film Miss Congeniality) is one of the highlights of an otherwise boring TV schedule. I recently read an interview with him and he certainly does not come across as arrogant; he's capable of some refreshing reflexivity.

I'm afraid Takei comes out worse in all this; he sounds mean and resentful - he's entitled to invite whomever he wants for his wedding but to make a public meal of his blacklisting is really crass.

Maybe it's really a question of unrequitted love; maybe what Takei mistook for Shatner's snub is really the fact that he is not someone who gets noticed; maybe he thought throughout his life that he didn't get more important roles because he was gay (as if Hollywood didn't have more than its fair share...)...whatever the reason he seems a very bitter man. And as Shatner said, they only have a few more years left on this earth, why not make the most of it?

Anyway, for what's worth, my gay friends in England ( who affectionately call me a f*g h*g) find Takei rather creepy.

[Michale32086]

It simply makes me sad to see two of my childhood heroes go at it like this.

If our heroes can't get along, how are everyday Americans supposed to??

Michale.....