Culture

Jane Lynch says she “feels bad for Brett Ratner” after his gay slur

Nov 15 2011
Written by Stephen Gray

The actress Jane Lynch said at the weekend that she “feels bad” for the director who said rehearsal was “for fags”.

Lynch was speaking to E!Online at a gay charity event, and said: “I wasn’t offended. I’m OK.”

She added: “I think humor is such a personal thing, and you put a microphone in somebody’s face, they’re going to say something that offends somebody.”

Ratner backed out of producing next year’s 84th annual Oscars ceremony after making the gay slur at a press conference to promote a film.

He apologised, saying: “I’ve gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people I admire most in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I said in a number of recent media appearances.”

The award-winning, openly gay actress plays the role of cheer-leading coach Sue Sylvester on the show Glee.

Earlier this year, Lynch said she did not think Hollywood was homophobic, but that gay actors will never land leading straight roles.

She said at the time: “I think because since most of the world is straight – and maybe we’ll get to a place where this will happen – most of the world is straight and we want the audience to project their hopes and dreams for love and romance onto those actors.

“And if it’s not in some way possible, maybe never probably, in their mind that it could never happen, then they’re not going to do it. You know, most people are straight, and I think that’s probably why.”