'I'm devastated to have caused offence': Benedict Cumberbatch On 'Colour' Remark
News
oi-IANS
By Ians English
Academy
Award
nominee
Benedict
Cumberbatch,
who
was
criticised
for
using
racist
term
"coloured" to
address
black
actors
on
a
talk
show
recently,
has
issued
an
apology
for
his
controversial
remark.
"I'm
devastated
to
have
caused
offence
by
using
this
outmoded
terminology.
I
offer
my
sincere
apologies.
I
make
no
excuse
for
my
being
an
idiot
and
know
the
damage
is
done," the
38-year-old
said
in
a
statement.
"I
can
only
hope
this
incident
will
highlight
the
need
for
correct
usage
terminology
that
is
accurate
and
inoffensive.
The
most
shaming
aspect
of
this
for
me
is
that
I
was
talking
about
racial
inequality
in
the
performing
arts
in
Britain
and
the
need
for
rapid
improvements
in
our
industry
when
I
used
the
term," he
added.
Cumberbatch
made
the
controversial
remark
last
week
when
he
appeared
on
the
show
"Tavis
Smiley".
Asked
about
black
British
actors
Chiwetel
Ejiofor
and
David
Oyelowo,
who
starred
in
"12
Years
a
Slave" and
"Selma",
he
said:
"I
think
as
far
as
coloured
actors
go,
it
gets
really
different
in
Britain,
and
a
lot
of
my
friends
have
had
more
opportunities
here
(in
the
US)
than
in
Britain,
and
that's
something
that
needs
to
change."
Cumberbatch
further
wrote
in
the
statement:
"I
apologise
again
to
anyone
I
offended
for
this
thoughtless
use
of
inappropriate
language
about
an
issue
which
affect
friends
of
mine
and
which
I
care
about
deeply.