What did George Lazenby say? Controversy explained as former James Bond star issues apology over homophobic remarks

Australian actor George Lazenby issued an apology after making "homophobic" and "creepy" remarks during his recent onstage interview in Australia.

Lazenby starred in 1969's action film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, where he played the role of the secret agent 007. He was part of a national concert tour called The Music of James Bond, which happened on September 10 at Perth Concert Hall.

During the event, George Lazenby made some controversial comments which offended the audience members, some of whom were there with their kids and families.

On September 12, the 83-year-old actor took to his Facebook handle to share a lengthy statement noting that he did not mean to offend or degrade anybody.

In the post, he wrote:

"I am sorry and saddened to hear that my stories in Perth on Saturday might have offended some people. It was never my intention to make hurtful or homophobic comments and I am truly sorry if my stories that I have shared many times, for example in the documentary BECOMING BOND, were taken that way."

He continued:

"I only ever wish to share some stories and hopefully entertain some people. I personally have friends within my close circle who are gay and I would never wish to offend anyone. Having been surrounded by strong women all my life, I have always admired and respected women and their wishes."

George Lazenby further stated that his real achievements are his kids and that at this age, his family and friends are "most important" to him.

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George Lazenby has been removed from the rest of the concert

The exact statements made by George Lazenby were unreleased at the time of writing this article. However, one caller, who was speaking on 6PR radio, elaborated on the topics that the star had discussed during the family event.

As per News AU, the caller stated:

“He (George Lazenby) spent all of the interview just talking about basically his s*x**l conquests, he was homophobic, he swore, he certainly wasn’t talking about his Bond movies, he downplayed the Queen a day after she died. It was absolutely unbelievable… at one point he named an Australian cricketer whose daughter he was chasing and he said he dragged the daughter out of the pub and put her in the car in London, which again is of course horrific."

The person continued to say:

"He named women who he had slept with, and there were children in the audience. There were a lot families who had brought their kids probably to their first ever classical music concert. It wasn’t even charming, it wasn’t even funny. It was creepy, it was offensive … it was absolutely horrific behavior.”

After receiving immense backlash for his comments, the organizers of the show issued a statement. They announced that George Lazenby has been removed from the last leg of the show, scheduled to happen in Melbourne, due to his "unacceptable" comments.

In a statement via the Daily Mail, Concertworks stated that they were "extremely saddened and disappointed" by Lazenby's statements at the recent event. They then denounced his attendance from all future shows. The statement, in part, read:

"These were his personal views and there is no excuse for this in today's society. They do not reflect the views of Concertworks. On behalf of Concertworks, we sincerely apologise to the audience, performers, conductor, WASO and the Perth Concert Hall."

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George Lazenby began his acting career in 1969 when he starred in the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Some of his other credits include Universal Soldier, The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss, International Assassin, Evening in Byzantium, General Hospital, Rituals, Hell Hunters, Twin Sitters, The Pretender, Batman Beyond and Death Game, among others.