Anthony Anderson has addressed the backlash he’s received for a resurfaced clip in which he told a teenage Lindsay Lohan that he “likes them young.”
A spokesperson for the actor released a statement through Entertainment Weekly detailing the actor’s thoughts. “The interview was clearly intended as a comedy,” said the spokesperson. “He regrets if the humor was in poor taste and maintains the utmost respect for Lindsay. Any implication to the contrary is both inaccurate and potentially defamatory.”
In the clip in question from an interview that Anderson had with Lohan on the Sharon Osbourne Show in 2003, a conversation about her being roomates with Raven-Symoné shifted into being about dating instead.
Anderson told Lohan at the time that they were “both beautiful women” and wondered how they agreed on decorating their home.
After Lohan explained how much she liked the color pink, Anderson then asked her, “What gentleman will be at the new pad?”
Lohan revealed that she wasn’t dating anyone. “No one,” she responded. “No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Anderson leaned in and reiterated her relationship status to the audience by shouting, “Hmmm. She’s single! But looking.”
Lohan referenced the fact that she was 16 at the time by saying, “I’m illegal for people that are old.”
Anderson, who was 33, seemingly made a joke out of the reply. “Well, you know some men like them young. We ain’t going to mention no names but, you know, I’m one of them,” he said, laughing.
The backlash around Anderson’s interview with Lohan is the latest controversy that the actor’s been embroiled with. In 2018, he was accused, alongside an assistant director, of raping an extra on the set of Hustle & Flow, but the charges were later dropped.
That same year, the actor was investigated for an alleged sexual assault on a woman who claimed it happened when they met for a business opportunity. The actor “unequivocally” disputed the claims and later that year, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges.
“It’s unfortunate that anyone can file a police report whether it is true or false,” his spokesperson said at the time in a statement. “The authorities have not contacted Anthony or any of his representatives about this matter. Anthony unequivocally disputes the claim.”