Screenwriter Terry Rossio, who triggered a social media storm after using a derogatory racial slur on Twitter, has tendered an apology.
The 58-year-old screenwriter, known for "Shrek" and five "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, said he made a "mistake" by using the derogatory word and has realised that the term has no place in any conversation.
"In a recent Twitter post, arguing against stereotyping and hate speech, I referenced the 'n-word' (the actual word) as an example of what not to do. That was a mistake. I am sorry. I now understand that the word has no place in any conversation, ever," Rossio wrote in his three-part apology on the micro-blogging website.
"You can't make a point against hate speech and reference actual words of hate speech. That was insensitive and ignorant. I am immediately deleting the post to remove that toxic word from the internet, where it should never appear in any context," he added.
He said he is tendering a "deeply felt apology to all" and will continue to raise his voice "against hate speech and dehumanising lables in any form".
Rossio had earlier used the term in a tweet, responding to "The 100" writer Julie Benson's call for people to contribute to vaccination efforts.
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"My heart goes out to all the parents of vaccine damaged children, who have to not only endure the sadness of their loss, but also the vitriol of ill-informed and insensitive people (such as those here). Anti-Vax is equivalent to calling someone a n****r and makes as little sense," he had said.
However, the response did not go down well with the social media users, including Benson, who slammed him for the comparison.