Anthony Anderson Addresses Lindsay Lohan Controversy
Earlier this week, a clip from a December 2003 episode of The Sharon Osbourne Show went viral. Anthony was acting as the guest host, while Lindsay stopped by to celebrate the DVD and VHS release of her hit film Freaky Friday.
It's safe to assume the decades-old interview is making its rounds today because Lindsay is currently promoting her latest feature film — the sequel to Freaky Friday — Freakier Friday.
But it's catching everyone's attention due to the nature of the interview and the seemingly inappropriate comments a then-33-year-old Anthony was asking Lindsay, who was 17 at the time. Several remarks with sexual undertones were made, starting as soon as she walked on stage, when he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and then made a joke about her kissing him "on the lips with tongue."
Moments that stick out throughout the interview also included Anthony telling Lindsay his family loved The Parent Trap, while immediately following up with, "You've grown up a whole lot since then," as he put his hand on her knee.
He also gifted her a pillow with his face on it after she revealed she and fellow child star, Raven-Symoné, got a place together. Although speaking of the pillow, he worded his next question with a sexual innuendo: "Now aside from entertaining me in your room and in your house, what gentleman will be at the new pad with you and Raven-Symoné?"
The conversation topics continued to grow more disturbing after Lindsay said she didn't plan on having any men at her new place, because she didn't have a boyfriend. Anthony announced to the audience, "Hmm...she's single and looking!" But Lindsay quickly reacted by pointing out, "But I'm illegal for people that are old."
He followed up her comments with, "Well, some men like 'em young, we ain't gonna mention no names, but, you know. I'm one of 'em."
Statements like these continued throughout the interview until it was over, literally. In fact, his final words to the audience were, "We're about to get our freak on," referring to him and Lindsay as he embraced her in a hug. While he was seemingly making a reference to Freaky Friday, the fact that he was saying these comments to a teenager made many viewers cringe. Lindsay also appeared uncomfortable during certain moments.
Many fans took to social media to voice their strong opinions on the interview, and the sentiments were the same:
Well, today, Anthony is responding to the backlash: "This interview was clearly intended as comedy. He regrets if the humor was in poor taste and maintains the utmost respect for Lindsay," a spokesperson tells Entertainment Weekly via email on behalf of Anderson. "Any implication to the contrary is both inaccurate and potentially defamatory."
Beyond reactions to it being "creepy," some people also pointed out Anthony's controversial past, which includes several sexual assault allegations. The first one emerged in 2004 when Anthony and Hustle & Flow assistant director Wayne Witherspoon were accused of raping a 25-year-old extra on the set of the film. A woman claimed to have heard screaming, followed by a naked woman running from a trailer. She was later treated at St. Francis Hospital. The Daily Beast reported that Anthony was charged with aggravated rape but was released on a $20K bond. He denies the allegations.
You can watch the full 2003 interview from The Sharon Osbourne Show below:
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