Liam Neeson says he is not a racist in wake of rape comments

Liam Neeson has denied he is a racist in an interview on US  television, saying that he had grown up surrounded by bigotry during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Neeson sparked outrage in a newspaper interview in which he said that, as a young man, he had wanted to kill a  black  person after finding out someone close to him had been the victim of rape.

Appearing on Good Morning America, Neeson explained his comments had originally been part of a discussion about the concept of revenge. “I remembered an incident nearly 40 years ago where a very dear friend of mine was brutally raped … I had never felt this feeling before, which was a primal urge to lash out.” He added: “I’m not racist. I was brought up in the north of Ireland. The Troubles.

The 1960s, 70s and early 80s … There was a war going on in the north of Ireland. I had acquaintances who were involved in the Troubles. The bigotry. One Catholic would be killed; the next day one Protestant would be killed … I grew up surrounded by that, but I was never part of it.” Neeson was also asked if he would have reacted the same had the attacker not been black.

He replied: “Definitely. If she had said an Irish, Scot, or a Brit, or a Lithuanian – I know I would have felt the same way. I was trying to show honour and stand up for my dear friend in this terrible medieval fashion … It shocked me when I came down … Luckily, no violence occurred, thanks be to God."