Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes has issued a video apology for the inflammatory statements he made in the wake of the March for Our Lives protests a little more than a week ago, saying he "was not attempting to impugn the youth of America or this beautiful thing they've accomplished."
Hughes has a unique role in the gun control debate as a supporter of gun rights who was also one of the victims of the November 2015 terror attack at the Bataclan theater in Paris, where 89 people died. His posts garnered significant media coverage.
"What I had intended to be a statement about the hijacking by any side of the aisle of the beautiful agenda of a movement of our nation's youth came off seeming like a mean-spirited personal attack and slight of the youth themselves, and even a personal attack of its leadership," Hughes said in the Sunday video.
"I truly am sorry. I did not mean to hurt anyone or cause any harm. As someone who's watched their friends shot in front of their eyes and seen people killed that they love I should have handled this a lot more maturely and responsibly and I did not do that and I messed up."
Hughes has since deleted his posts, which included a reference to a man cutting off his own penis to prevent rape. In one rant, he said, "As a survivor of a mass shooting I can tell you from first-hand experience that all of you protesting and taking days off from school insult the memory of those who were killed and abuse and insult me and every other lover of liberty by your every action."
He continued (via Sky News): "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll ... and may everyone of these disgusting vile abusers of the dead live as long as possible so they can have the maximum amount of time to endure their shame and be cursed."
In the new video, Hughes pleaded, "I hope that you're able to forgive me, but please know that I did not mean to do what it seems like it was I was doing."
