Joe Rogan has apologized for his second controversy in two weeks after a compilation surfaced that showed him using a racial slur in 12 years’ worth of episodes.
In a six-minute video posted Saturday on Instagram, the podcaster offered his “deepest apologies,” acknowledging that his use of the N-word on “The Joe Rogan Experience” looked “terrible” and calling his use of the racist slur “regretful” and “shameful.”
“I know that to most people there’s no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast and I agree with that now. I haven’t said it in years,” said Rogan, 56. “It’s not my word to use, I’m well aware of that now.”
Rogan said the clips were taken out of context: “I never used it to be racist because I’m not racist, but whenever you’re in a situation where you have to say, ‘I’m not racist,’ you (screwed) up.”
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Singer-songwriter India.Arie shared the compilation Friday on Instagram and told fans she is pulling her music from Spotify because of it, saying she doesn’t want to generate money that pays for the podcaster.
“So we know how social media can be. Things can be doctored, people are taken out of context, it’s happened to me many times,” she said. “However, I want be clear in no uncertain terms where I stand on this. … He shouldn’t be uttering the word. Don’t even say it under any context.”
Spotify didn’t respond immediately to The Associated Press’ request for comment.
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The streaming service is facing a growing backlash from artists over Rogan’s podcast, which it reportedly pays more than $100 million to license. In January, Neil Young removed his music, complaining that Rogan was spotlighting vaccine skepticism, and Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills and Nils Lofgren followed suit.
Spotify has said it will add a warning before all podcasts that discuss COVID-19, directing listeners to factual information from scientists and public health experts.
In his video, Rogan also addressed a clip from his podcast in which he talked about going to see “Planet of the Apes” at a movie theater in a Black neighborhood.
“I was trying to make the story entertaining, and I said we got out and it was like we were in Africa. It’s like we were in ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ” Rogan said. He said he wasn’t trying to be racist but realized it was “an idiotic thing” to say and deleted the podcast.
Contributing: Anne D’Innocenzio, The Associated Press, and Kim Willis and Elise Brisco, USA TODAY
