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Damon Wayans Jr. is addressing controversial comments he made close to a decade ago.
In a new statement, the actor and comedian apologized for tweets from 2010 and 2011 that have since been deleted.
“When I was a young comic trying to find my voice, I made some immature and hurtful tweets that I deeply regret at the expense of the LGBTQ community. When I tweeted those comments, almost 10 years ago, I was unaware of the emotional impact they could have,” he explained to Deadline. “I am not excusing that behavior but that is not who I am today. Society evolved and so have I and it is something I will continue to do both personally and professionally.”
Damon continued, “Continued learning, acceptance and thoughtful words are all important actions that will help make society a kinder and safer place for all people. You know better, you do better.”
Recently, Damon earned the title of executive producer of a new CW show called Glamorous.
The series will focus on a gender non-conforming high school graduate who lands the gig of a lifetime interning at a cosmetics company whose products he panned on YouTube. Star Trek Discovery‘s Jordon Nardino serves as a writer.
As for Damon’s controversial tweets, Deadline reports that the actor once replied to a user referring to them as a “tranny bitch.”
He also wrote, “Being on the road during the day sucks tranny balls.” There were also tweets where he used the phrase “no homo” and “f–.”
Ultimately, Damon doesn’t want his past messages to disrupt his future work that includes a unique story not often seen on the small screen.
“I am very proud of the work we are doing at Two Shakes entertainment. The company was founded with the mission of working with diverse voices, both in front and behind the camera,” Damon shared in his statement. “When Glamourous was pitched to us I thought it was brilliant, heartwarming and important. We will continue to be committed to pursuing protagonists who don’t traditionally get to be at the center of a show and bringing their stories to the screen.”