Ian McKellen had earlier suggested that if Bryan Singer and Kevin Spacey had been able to come out of the closet, they would not have sexually abused people. (Source: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)Veteran actor Ian McKellen has offered an apology for his comments about sexual misconduct allegations against his X-Men director Bryan Singer and actor Kevin Spacey. McKellen had earlier suggested that if Singer and Spacey had been able to come out of the closet, they would not have sexually abused people.
McKellen, best known for playing Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, posted a statement from his Twitter account. In it, he wrote, “As part of an extended podcast recently, I suggested that if closeted people were instead open about their sexuality they wouldn’t abuse others. That, of course, is wrong.”
He added, “My intention was to encourage the LGBT audience I was addressing, to be proud and open about their sexuality. In doing so, my point was clumsily expressed. I would never, ever trivialise or condone abuse of any kind.”
McKellen is openly gay, having come out of the closet in 1988. He has been an LGBT activist since then and has campaigned for LGBT rights throughout the world.
In the podcast called #QueerAF, McKellen shared his thoughts on the #MeToo movement and allegations against Spacey and Singer, two people with whom McKellen has worked in the past. McKellen said, ” With a couple of names you mentioned of people I worked with, both of them were in the closet. Hence all their problems as people and their relationship with other people.”
The actor went on to add, “If they had been able to be open about themselves and their desires, they wouldn’t have started abusing people in the way they’re being accused.”
