AceShowbiz - In a candid interview with "The Daily" podcast from The New York Times, Bill Murray addressed the 2022 misconduct allegations that resulted in a $100,000 settlement. Murray's comedic attempt to "lighten the mood" on set during the COVID pandemic involved kissing a female colleague through their face masks.

Three years after the fiasco, the actor maintains that the action was intended humorously, not as a sexual advance.

Murray recalled the incident, saying, "I was wearing a mask, and I gave her a kiss, and she was wearing a mask. It wasn't like I touched her, it was just, I gave her a kiss through a mask, through another mask, to another person. And she wasn't a stranger."

He reiterated that the affected colleague was someone he had a working relationship with, mentioning that they had lunch together on multiple occasions.

The incident occurred on the set of "Being Mortal," a film adaptation of Atul Gawande's book about end-of-life and hospice care, directed by Aziz Ansari. The production faced suspension after the crew member's complaint.

Murray called out Disney's decision to halt the film. "It still bothers me because that movie was stopped by the, whatever they call the human rights or HR of the Disney Corporation, which is probably a little bit more strident than some countries," he said.

Murray also pointed out that he had pulled similar pranks in the past, which were always received with laughter. "It's something that I had done to someone else before, and I thought it was funny. And every time it happened, it was funny," he noted.

Despite this, the "Being Mortal" incident was perceived differently and led to significant backlash.

The Oscar nominee admitted that the incident has had a lasting impact on him. "I don't go too many days or weeks without thinking about what happened on 'Being Mortal', " Murray stated.

He described the arbitration process that followed as "lunatic" and advised against it, saying, "If anyone ever suggests you go to arbitration, don't do it. Never, ever do it. Because you think it's, like, justice. And it isn't."

While defending his intentions, Murray acknowledged the lessons learned, "You know, you can teach an old dog new tricks. But I just thought it was a disappointment. It was a great disappointment because I thought I knew someone and I did not."

The actor also responded to other past allegations about his behavior on movie sets, emphasizing that incidents like these do not define his entire career. "When someone has an episode like mine on this 'Being Mortal' thing, the world goes searching for more proof that this person is a monster - an absolute monster," he observed.

Murray hoped to find peace and move on from the controversy. As he succinctly put it, "I thought I was trying to make peace. I ended up being like, to my mind, barbecued."