Mark Wahlberg once again tries to clear up his 9/11 statement: 'I was a little out of line with my wording'

by Aly Semigran

Tags: Celebrity Scandals, Mark Wahlberg, Movies, Not Jon Hamm, Ooops!, Politics as Entertainment, Sound Bites, Movies

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Mark Wahlberg appeared on a morning talk show on New York City’s WPLJ on Friday to once again try and set the record straight regarding the controversial remarks he made to Men’s Journal regarding the 9/11 attacks. The Contraband star told the magazine, “If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn’t have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to land somewhere safely, don’t worry.’” The outlandish statement immediately sparked an uproar, in which everyone collectively reacted, “What?! No. Not you, Mark Wahlberg.”

On Wednesday the actor issued an apology about the controversial statement, telling People, “To suggest I would have done anything differently than the passengers on that plane was irresponsible. I deeply apologize to the families of the victims that my answer came off as insensitive. It was certainly not my intention.” According to the New York Post, during his time on the Scott and Todd morning show, Wahlberg reiterated, “I was a little out of line with my wording and I didn’t take in to consideration how other people would respond to it or be affected by it.”

The actor said he found the reaction to his comments “upsetting” and “I didn’t take into consideration how other people would take it.” But Wahlberg, who told listeners that he “like any American” simply wanted to “to prevent” the tragedy, also noted he wasn’t the only one to blame for this mess. “I had a journalist who was asking all the questions and I’m trying to promote a movie … It wasn’t like all of a sudden I just decided I was going to get on this soap box and start talking about my opinion of 9/11. I was there to talk about the movie.”

What do you think of the reaction to Mark Wahlberg’s comments and the subsequent apologies? While Wahlberg is hardly the first in the entertainment industry to upset people with ill-advised 9/11 commentary, will it hurt his career and his image? Or will his apologies, and the claim that he was lead on by the Men’s Journal interviewer, help get us back to a simpler time when we could make fun of him for this? Share in the comments section below.