This week, Jonah Hill went from beloved comedian to funnyman under fire after he hurled an anti-gay slur at paparazzi this past weekend. Hill apologized online shortly after the incident caught fire in the media, and recently Hill made a heartfelt apology for a second time on “The Tonight Show.”
During his interview with host Jimmy Fallon, Hill explained that a paparazzo was making disrespectful comments about him and his family while following him on the street. Hill explains that he retaliated out of anger and uttered “suck my d—, f—-t” to the paparazzo.
“In response, I wanted to hurt him back, and I said the most hurtful word that I could think of at that moment. I didn’t mean this in the sense of the word. I didn’t mean it in a homophobic way,” Hill admitted, choking up on camera. “I think that doesn’t matter. How you mean things doesn’t matter; words have weight and meaning. The words I chose were grotesque and nobody deserves to say or hear words like that.
“I’ve been a supporter of the LGBT community my entire life and I completely let the members of that community down and everybody else down when I used that word this weekend,” said Hill. “My heart’s broken, and I genuinely am deeply sorry to anyone who’s been affected by that term in their life. I’m sorry, and I don’t deserve or expect your forgiveness.”
Hill then decided to use his mistake as a teachable moment for others to think before using hurtful slurs in retaliation.
“What I ask is that, at home if you’re watching this, and you’re a young person especially, if someone says something that hurts you or angers you, use me as an example of what not to do and don’t respond with hatred or anger because you’re just adding more ugliness to the world,” Hill urged.
It’s commendable and endearing that Hill would share such a heartfelt apology on camera, especially while staring directly into the lens, and try to use his mistake as a lesson for others, especially the younger generation, to learn from. It’s not only admirable; it was the right thing to do. – nicholas robinson
