The 'Taken' star has been met with public outrage after he opened up in a newspaper interview about the time he roamed the street to beat up 'black bastard' who raped his female friend.
- Feb 6, 2019
AceShowbiz - The New York premiere of Liam Neeson's new film has been cancelled after the actor confessed to seeking out a black man to beat up following the rape of his friend.
The "Schindler's List" star was promoting "Cold Pursuit" in London recently when he recalled a time he became a vigilante seeking vengeance like his character in the film.
He told the Independent newspaper he spent a week roaming the streets 40 years ago hoping "some black bastard would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could... kill him."
Neeson made the comment after revealing a late friend told him she had been raped by a black man.
The actor was quickly attacked for his comments, with some critics calling him racist.
Liam addressed the backlash during an appearance on U.S. breakfast show "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, stating, "I'm not a racist," and adding he felt "a primal urge to lash out" at the time.
"I went out deliberately into black areas in the city, looking to be set upon," he said. "It shocked me and it hurt me... I did seek help, I went to a priest... It was horrible, horrible when I think back, that I did that. It's awful, but I did learn a lesson from it."
"I'm a fairly intelligent guy and that's why it kind of shocked me when I came down to earth after having these horrible feelings. Luckily, no violence occurred, ever."
Despite the explanation on TV, the producers of his new movie decided to scrap Tuesday night's (February 05) premiere.
Liam's comments have outraged many people online, with some calling for his films to be boycotted and for the star to be stripped of his OBE medal.
