'I was a kid then': Justin Bieber apologises after leaked video of racist joke

The singer quickly apologised and said he did not understand that certain words can hurt.

12:30 02 June 2014

Singer Justin Bieber has apologised after a video that was shot when he was 15 in which he made a racist joke, was made public. 

 

The shocking footage, which was filmed for (but not used in) Justin’s Never Say Never documentary in 2011, saw Justin asking his pals: “Why are black people afraid of chainsaws?”. Somebody off-camera warns the star not to finish the remark but he then grins and says: "Run, n****r, n****r, n****r, n****r, n****r."

 

Talking to TMZ, the star has addressed the media storm and issued an apology: "As a young man, I didn't understand the power of certain words and how they can hurt. 

 

"I thought it was OK to repeat hurtful words and jokes, but didn't realize at the time that it wasn't funny and that in fact my actions were continuing the ignorance."

 

Justin goes on saying that he had learned his lesson. "Thanks to friends and family I learned from my mistakes and grew up and apologized for those wrongs. Now that these mistakes from the past have become public I need to apologize again to all those I have offended."

 

Justin continued: "I'm very sorry. I take my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologize for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable mistake. I was a kid then and I am a man now who knows my responsibility to the world and to not make that mistake again."