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Justin Bieber Apologizes For Racial Slur Joke
In a statement Sunday to The Associated Press, Bieber said when he was a kid he didn’t realize how certain words could hurt. He says he learned from his mistakes and apologized for them, and now is apologizing again because they have become public.
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“I’m very sorry,” Bieber said. “I take all my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologize for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable behavior.”
The British tabloid The Sun first published the video, which is five years old. In it, a then 15-year-old Bieber tells a joke about black people that has the racial epithet as the punchline. Before he says it, someone warns him not to – but he says it anyway amid laughter.
“I thought it was ok to repeat hurtful words and jokes, but I didn’t realize at the time that it wasn’t funny and that in fact my actions were continuing the ignorance,” the statement said. “Thanks to friends and family I learned from my mistakes and grew up and apologized for those wrongs. Now that these mistakes from the past have become public I need to apologize again to all of those who I have offended.”
It’s the latest controversy for Bieber, who over the past couple of years has dealt with brushes with the law and other problems that have dealt a blow to his once wholesome image. The video was taken when Bieber was just emerging as a pop sensation.
In his statement, Bieber said that “ignorance has no place in our society and I hope the sharing of my faults can prevent others from making the same mistake in the future.
“I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say but telling the truth is always what’s right.”
He ends the statement by saying “Once again … I’m sorry.”