Christian Bale

[ElleDriver 0]

Christian Bale Apologizes for F-Word Filled Tirade

Friday February 6, 2009

 

Christian Bale has apologized for launching a 4-minute verbal attack -- in which he drops the F-bomb 36 times -- at a crew member on the set of Terminator Salvation.

 

"I have no confusion whatsoever -- I was out of order, beyond belief," Bale, 35, said Friday on "The Kevin & Bean Show" on L.A.'s KROQ 106.7.

 

"I acted like a punk. I regret that," he said. "There is nobody who has heard that tape that has been hit harder by it than me. It is inexcusable."

 

The audio -- which has since become the latest Internet viral trend, thanks to countless mash-ups and remixes -- was released earlier this week. It features Bale going off on cinematographer Shane Hurlbut last July for apparently walking behind costar Bryce Dallas Howard and through Bale's line of sight.

 

"Do you want me to go and trash your lights? Do you want me to go and trash them?" Bale screams. "Then why are you trashing my scene?"

 

He also threatens to beat up Hurlbut and quit the movie if Hurlbut's not fired.

 

Bale said it "disturbs" him that people now think he feels he is "better than everybody else."

 

He said he considers himself "lucky" to be working in the business and "that is why I put so much into what I do. Sometimes that enthusiasm goes awry.

 

"If anybody ever sees that I really am thinking I am better than anybody else, stick a fork in my backside, turn me over, and I will be done," he added. "That is not me."

 

Bale said on the day of his tirade, "I got annoyed...and I made it ugly. I took it way too far, and I completely mixed up fact and fiction."

 

Before getting off the phone, he urged fans not to let his expletive-filled outburst affect their decision to see the film, out May 22.

 

"Please, I am asking people, do not allow my onetime lapse in judgment, my incredibly embarrassing meltdown, to overshadow this movie.

 

"I am embarrassed by it, and I regret it," he said. "I ask everybody to sit down and asked themselves, 'Have they ever had a bad day and ever lost their temper and really regretted it immensely?'"

 

Asked about the countless remixes of his rant, Bale said, "Feel free to make fun of me at my expense. I deserve it completely."

[Hoyaheel 1,874]

You know what--that is an apology. It's not a faux-pology or a non-apology ("I'm sorry you feel that I hurt you") but a true apology where he expresses regret and remorse for his actions.

 

Granted, he's an actor. But I'm still impressed.

 

Plus at the end he shows he has a sense of humor

[e-lin 1]

time for anger management classes !!!

[purplehaze 0]

Well he did step up to the man plate and apologize and that's to be accepted but the guy definitely needs to get a handle on that smoking temper.

[mostlylurker 2]

Well he did step up to the man plate and apologize and that's to be accepted but the guy definitely needs to get a handle on that smoking temper.

really what else could he do? sorry, no excuse. he's got a problem.

[mostlylurker 2]

You know what--that is an apology. It's not a faux-pology or a non-apology ("I'm sorry you feel that I hurt you") but a true apology where he expresses regret and remorse for his actions.

 

Granted, he's an actor. But I'm still impressed.

 

Plus at the end he shows he has a sense of humor

it may be or it may not be. he couldnt get away with a faux apology. Does he mean it? it may be he's more sorry he was caught on tape. Or you know what? he may be really sorry BUT here' s the thing: its no excuse if its a problem he has. What gets me about it is its not just a momentary explosion. He keeps it up. He doesnt at some point excuse himself from the environment etc etc. He just lets it rip. it sounds like a guy for whom this is not wholly unheard of. Believe me i wish i didnt feel that because i think he's talented and ive admired his keeping himself out of the scandals until now. Casa B. said his temper is renowed. So that part of the apology doesnt ring true (where he asks to reflect to your own bad days. in fact id say that's a bit slimy, faux, and not quite manning up.) anyway, at least he's been outted. maybe that will embarrass him into some reflection.

[GimmeSumSugar 0]

I mean he's said sorry, and fair enough but the way I look at it is like, if some kindhearted person hadn't leaked this tape in sympathy with the set guy then nobody would have ever known, Bale would have carried on being a thundering bar-steward and probably never apologised anyway, got away with it and spent the rest of the time making the guy's life miserable and snapping at or ignoring him, or possibly even getting him fired, which some loony studio exec would do "because Saint Christian Bale told us to!".

 

I am always continuously surprised how a grown adult can make another grown adult feel about 2 mm high over n-o-t-h-i-n-g. He rightfully deserves my C tag and I don't dole those out lightly either. Only him and Harrison Ford have ever got a C-rating from me.

 

Two other things worth mentioning:

 

Does he lose his shit like this with his little girl and wife?

 

The one thing I am really glad about is people power has outted this clown. Never shit on the little guy because the little guy always has friends.

Edited February 7, 2009 by GimmeSumSugar

[GovMarley 90]

Does he lose his shit like this with his little girl and wife?

Oooh, Gimme, great point. We are always, 100% hardest on the ones who we love most, because those are the ones who should accept us for who we are. I would be shocked if his hair-trigger temper isn't worst at home. Mine is, and sometimes it makes me ashamed.

[HBeacher 0]

He lost his shit like this with his own mother and sister. I think he's one can short of six pack.

[Hoyaheel 1,874]

if some kindhearted person hadn't leaked this tape in sympathy with the set guy then nobody would have ever known,

I don't believe for one second this tape was leaked by a "kindhearted" person or that it had anything to do with sticking up for the guy that Bale reamed. It was leaked to make Bale look bad, probably for business purposes. How long ago did this occur??? If you're trying to support the guy who was yelled at, you don't wait months to leak the tape--you bring it up immediately....

 

I'm still not supporting what Bale did--it was wrong. Flat out wrong. I'm just saying I think there are nefarious reasons why the tape was released at all....

[galaxygirl 0]

Clip from last night's the Soup. Edited February 8, 2009 by galaxygirl

[piglet 0]

I mean he's said sorry, and fair enough but the way I look at it is like, if some kindhearted person hadn't leaked this tape in sympathy with the set guy then nobody would have ever known, Bale would have carried on being a thundering bar-steward and probably never apologised anyway, got away with it and spent the rest of the time making the guy's life miserable and snapping at or ignoring him, or possibly even getting him fired, which some loony studio exec would do "because Saint Christian Bale told us to!".

 

 

But didn't this happen months ago and we all had no knowledge of it until it was leaked the other day?

 

If it's as he said and he apologised to the DP and crew after the outburst, then who else is there for him to apologise to? He has no need to apologise to the general public for something that happened at a workplace that no one else knows about.

[thelatemrfutterman 0]

....briskly removes avatar of prat...

 

 

It was leaked to make Bale look bad, probably for business purposes.

It has succeeded!

 

How long ago did this occur???

Around the time he was arrested for losing his shit to his mother and sister.

 

He has no need to apologise to the general public for something that happened at a workplace that no one else knows about.

Well, we all know about it now! Damage Limitation.

Edited February 8, 2009 by thelatemrfutterman

[MC 1]

Well, you know what they say.... no publicity is bad publicity.

 

He's gotten more than his 15 minutes to be sure, and he made a beautiful public apology. But the "bad boy" image will linger and that's not such a bad thing if he can keep it under control publicly.

 

I certainly hope they're trying to find out who recorded it (how did they know to have a recording device available?) and who leaked it. That's just poor form. And why do people want to make someone look bad? To shoot down the competition perhaps? Granted he has a temper, but it sounds like he was provoked A LOT and he lost it. Yes, it went on too long, but still. It should have been kept private. So if someone was trying to ruin him, I think the way he handled it gave him the advantage in the end.

[bittermuch? 0]

Not that you're all not right that Bale clearly has anger issues and his outburst was out of line, but I'm just grateful that no one recorded any of my past rants (much less mixed them into a techno track).

 

Probably the most combustible combination is someone with anger management issues running up against a textbook passive-aggressive. Based on all the explanations I've read, that seems to be exactly what happened here.

 

I was just reading this morning about how Harvey Weinstein is famous for leaking stuff like this in connection with awards campaigns. Is he involved with a movie opening in competition with the Terminator film? Or that's competing with Dark Knight in some category at this year's Oscars? I agree with Hoyaheel - I find it really suspicious that this is coming out now, but I don't know enough to figure out who could benefit from the timing.

[BobbyD 2]

Also doubting there was any "love" being shown by releasing this tape. Fox Studios has Night of the Museum 2 being released at the same time...so could be something on their side.

 

Publicity can definitely kill a film and/or a career...ask Ben Affleck(yes, he was in this weekend's #1 film...but we know it was for the title/subject) and ask Russell Crowe(his career has definitely taken a hit).

 

Don't know how it will affect Bale's career...he's still Batman...maybe it's time for another poll...if Bale's career is dead or unaffected?

[kappy22 1]

Not that you're all not right that Bale clearly has anger issues and his outburst was out of line, but I'm just grateful that no one recorded any of my past rants (much less mixed them into a techno track).

 

Probably the most combustible combination is someone with anger management issues running up against a textbook passive-aggressive. Based on all the explanations I've read, that seems to be exactly what happened here.

 

I was just reading this morning about how Harvey Weinstein is famous for leaking stuff like this in connection with awards campaigns. Is he involved with a movie opening in competition with the Terminator film? Or that's competing with Dark Knight in some category at this year's Oscars? I agree with Hoyaheel - I find it really suspicious that this is coming out now, but I don't know enough to figure out who could benefit from the timing.

Yep ~ totally agree.

 

As for his career ~ I think most people who already go to his films will continue to do so if it's a film they want to see.

[Hoyaheel 1,874]

As I said a page or two back, Lainey thinks this is part of the trash talk between the two directors with big action movies coming out, McG and Michael Bay--she's written about it on her website.

[kappy22 1]

As I said a page or two back, Lainey thinks this is part of the trash talk between the two directors with big action movies coming out, McG and Michael Bay--she's written about it on her website.

Thanks for that repeat, Hoya.

[Hoyaheel 1,874]

I wasn't trying to be obnoxious--I was replying to the comment about Harvey Weinstein being possibly involved--I don't think he's the only player in Hollywood who tries to screw with other people's movies, that's all I was trying to say

[notme 0]

I mean he's said sorry, and fair enough but the way I look at it is like, if some kindhearted person hadn't leaked this tape in sympathy with the set guy then nobody would have ever known, Bale would have carried on being a thundering bar-steward and probably never apologised anyway, got away with it and spent the rest of the time making the guy's life miserable and snapping at or ignoring him, or possibly even getting him fired, which some loony studio exec would do "because Saint Christian Bale told us to!".

 

 

But didn't this happen months ago and we all had no knowledge of it until it was leaked the other day?

 

If it's as he said and he apologised to the DP and crew after the outburst, then who else is there for him to apologise to? He has no need to apologise to the general public for something that happened at a workplace that no one else knows about.

 

Actually, this was reported months ago, but there was no audio released then. The story came out a few days after it happened, but it was right around the time of the incident with his mother and sister, and it got lost in all of the coverage of that.

[kappy22 1]

I wasn't trying to be obnoxious--I was replying to the comment about Harvey Weinstein being possibly involved--I don't think he's the only player in Hollywood who tries to screw with other people's movies, that's all I was trying to say

Hoya ~ If you're replying to me, I really did mean 'thank you' in that I missed what had been posted earlier and I do think it helps to have it be repeated.

 

[Hoyaheel 1,874]

OK, we're all good then

[BobbyD 2]

LOL...put the knives down. :4biggrin:

[kappy22 1]

LOL...put the knives down. :4biggrin:

What ~ And pick up bowling balls instead?