Brett Ratner has never been one to mince words, but some say the "Tower Heist" director's latest admission is downright deplorable.
After being asked whether he rehearses with his actors before shooting a scene, Ratner replied, "Rehearsing is for fags," according to New York Magazine's Vulture blog.
The gaffe, made during a Q&A session following a "Tower Heist" screening, seemed questionable even for the sharp-tongued Ratner, who is the producer of this year’s Oscar telecast and is said to be in talks to direct an adaptation of the Broadway musical "Wicked." One audience member is said to have been so upset by the reference that they immediately left the session.
The statement was quickly condemned by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) via Twitter. Entertainment Weekly writer Mark Harris felt similarly, saying that Ratner should step down from his Oscar producing duties as a result: "If he had used an equivalent racial or religious slur, the discussion would go something like, 'You're fired.' Apology or not. The same rule applies here. You don't get a mulligan on homophobia. Not in 2011."
Ratner, who also directed "X-Men: The Last Stand" and and the "Rush Hour" trilogy, quickly apologized in a statement via the Wrap. "It was a dumb way of expressing myself," he wrote. "Everyone who knows me knows that I don't have a prejudiced bone in my body. But as a storyteller I should have been much more thoughtful about the power of language and my choice of words."
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article identified Ratner as the director of the "X-Men" trilogy. Ratner directed "X-Men: The Last Stand," the third film in the series.
Watch video of Ratner's Q&A below (offensive remark takes place at about 2:40)