Disney drops director James Gunn from "Guardians of the Galaxy" over offensive tweets
Disney has dropped director James Gunn from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise over a string of inappropriate tweets that joked about pedophilia and rape, Disney said in a statement. Gunn is a staunch critic of President Trump, and his supporters dredged up the old tweets that led to Gunn's firing.
Alan Horn, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, said in a statement to CBS News, "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him."
Gunn's old tweets from 2008 to 2011 resurfaced on Thursday by the conservative website Daily Caller, and included offensive jokes like, "I like when little boys touch me in my silly place" and "The best thing about being raped is when you're done being raped and it's like 'whew this feels great, not being raped!'"
On Thursday evening, he made a statement in which he seemed to say he has apologized already for the jokes, saying, "In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people." He also seemed to attribute his jokes in part to personal unhappiness in his past. He said, "I used to make a lot of offensive jokes. I don't anymore. I don't blame my past self for this, but I like myself more and feel like a more full human being and creator today. Love you to you all."
1. Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
2. It’s not to say I’m better, but I am very, very different than I was a few years ago; today I try to root my work in love and connection and less in anger. My days saying something just because it’s shocking and trying to get a reaction are over.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
3. In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
4. For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
5. Anyway, that’s the completely honest truth: I used to make a lot of offensive jokes. I don’t anymore. I don’t blame my past self for this, but I like myself more and feel like a more full human being and creator today. Love you to you all.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
Gunn's old tweets also joked about the Holocaust, the 9/11 attacks and AIDS. Gunn was behind "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." He was also supposed to direct "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."