Michelle Rodriguez backtracks on Liam Neeson comments amid race row

'I defended a friend in the wrong way'

Michelle Rodriguez has back-tracked on comments she made about Liam Neeson following the Taken actor’s controversial interview with The Independent.

Neeson revealed he once roamed the streets with a cosh, wanting to kill a “black bastard” after someone close to him was raped years ago. Following outrage online, Neeson appeared in Good Morning American and insisted he is “not racist”.

:: Read the original, exclusive interview that started a global conversation

Rodriguez – who starred alongside Neeson in the heist thriller Widows – was quick to defend Neeson, saying: “It’s all f***in’ bulls**t. Dude, have you watched Widows? His tongue was so far down Viola Davis’s throat. You can’t call him a racist ever... He’s a loving man. It’s all lies.”

On Instagram, the Lost actor apologised for the comments.

“To my friends and colleagues and my fans and community: I want to deeply apologize for my recent choice of words, and poor use of example,” she wrote.

“In a pressure-filled situation, I defended a friend in the wrong way. I now realize how insensitive it was, and I had no intention of invoking such a terrible historical comparison. I have learned from this, and will grow from it.”

Speaking to The Independent during a discussion about revenge, a theme in his new film Cold Pursuit, he said he roamed the streets looking for a “black bastard” after someone close to him was raped.

Fans on Twitter have called for a boycott of his films as a result of the comments. Cold Pursuit has seemingly suffered at the box-office as a result, scoring the worst opening weekend for a Neeson-led action film since 1990.