AceShowbiz -

Billy Crystal has explained his controversial comments about gay sex scenes on TV. The actor previously hinted during a panel for his new show "The Comedians" at the TCA's winter press tour that he's uncomfortable with certain aspects of gay scenes on the small screen.

In a statement released on Monday, January 19, he explains that his comments apply to heterosexual sex scenes too. "What I meant was that whenever sex or graphic nudity of any kind (gay or straight) is gratuitous to the plot or story it becomes a little too much for my taste," he says.

He also addresses his remarks in an interview published on Xfinity's tv blog. "First of all, I don't understand why there would be anything offensive that I said," he says. "When it gets too far either visually...now, that world exists because it does for the hetero world, it exists, and I don't want to see that either. But when I feel it's a cause, when I feel it's 'You're going to like my lifestyle,' no matter what it is, I'm going to have a problem."

He continues, "There were a couple of shows I went 'I couldn't watch that with somebody else.' That's fine. If whoever writes it or produces it...totally get it. It's all about personal taste..."

The nine-time Academy Awards host seems to be baffled as to why people took issue with his comments. "We live in a very scary time in many ways. You can't say this, you can't say that, you can't offend this group, that group. People come up to you and ask if you were offended. I don't understand that. I understand it why everyone is watching out for the other person. That's offensive to me," he says.