Former "Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander is apologizing after comments he made on Craig Ferugson's "The Late Late Show" were deemed homophobic by a number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media outlets.
Alexander took some heat in the blogosphere last week after he deemed cricket a "gay sport," and even referred to the cricket pitch as "queer" and not manly.
"You know how I know it's really kind of a gay game? It's the pitch," Alexander noted in the interview, as cited by Towleroad. "It's the weirdest… It's not like a manly baseball pitch; it's a queer British gay pitch."
Noting that he "truly did not understand" the offensiveness of his remarks, the 52-year-old actor released a statement via the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), in which he noted:
"The problem is that today, as I write this, young men and women whose behaviors, choices or attitudes are not deemed 'man enough' or 'normal' are being subjected to all kinds of abuse from verbal to physical to societal. They are being demeaned and threatened because they don’t fit the group’s idea of what a 'real man' or a 'real woman' are supposed to look like, act like and feel like.
For these people, my building a joke upon the premise I did added to the pejorative stereotype that they are forced to deal with everyday. It is at the very heart of this whole ugly world of bullying that has been getting rightful and overdue attention in the media. And with my well-intentioned comedy bit, I played right into those hurtful assumptions and diminishments."
He continued:
"And the worst part is -- I should know better. My daily life is filled with gay men and women, both socially and professionally. I am profoundly aware of the challenges these friends of mine face and I have openly advocated on their behalf.
So, I can only apologize and I do. In comedy, timing is everything."
You can read Alexander's full statement here.
Take a look at other celebrities who've been caught saying anti-LGBT remarks:
