Liam Neeson’s revenge story causes negative reactions due to racial profiling

Credit: Warner Bros

Liam Neeson, known for his roles in Taken and Batman Begins, is getting flak on social media due to his revenge story he told to The Independent while he was promoting his film, Cold Pursuit. There was a time when the actor wanted revenge for someone he cared about, and it ended up with him asking her what the color of the guy was. He was consumed for a week, searching for the guy.

“There’s something primal — God forbid you’ve ever had a member of your family hurt under criminal conditions. I’ll tell you a story, this is true,” Neeson said.

“Some time ago,” the actor was overseas and returned to news that she had been raped. “She handled the situation of the rape in the most extraordinary way. But my immediate reaction was… I asked, did she know who it was? No. ‘What color were they?’ She said it was a black person.”

“I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I’d be approached by somebody,” he continued. “I’m ashamed to say that — and I did it for maybe a week, hoping some ‘black b*****d’ would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could… kill him.”

“It took me a week, maybe a week and a half, to go through that. She would say, ‘Where are you going?’ and I would say, ‘I’m just going out for a walk.’ You know? ‘What’s wrong?’ ‘No no, nothing’s wrong.'”

“It was horrible, horrible, when I think back, that I did that,” he said. “And I’ve never admitted that, and I’m saying it to a journalist. God forbid.”

“It’s awful,” Neeson continued. “But I did learn a lesson from it, when I eventually thought, ‘What the **** are you doing,’ you know?”

“I come from a society — I grew up in Northern Ireland in the Troubles — and, you know, I knew a couple of guys that died on hunger strike, and I had acquaintances who were very caught up in the Troubles, and I understand that need for revenge,” he said. “But it just leads to more revenge, to more killing and more killing, and Northern Ireland’s proof of that. All this stuff that’s happening in the world, the violence, is proof of that, you know. But that primal need, I understand.”

People took offense to Neeson’s revenge story and showed their disgust online.

“Not how old were they? How tall were they? You just asked what color were they? I don’t care how sorry you are, Liam Neeson, that is disgusting,” wrote a Twitter user.

“That Liam Neeson interview is just so saddening (and yes, still racist). It reinforces the idea that people of color, and especially black men, are collectively responsible for the misdeeds of one,” said another.

Others also chimed in, which you can check out below:

Looks like Liam Neeson May have just flushed his career.

— Rainbow Fire✖️❄️✖️ (@ARogueLiberal) February 4, 2019

Liam Neeson is cancelled

— Jake Ellis (@jakeellis123) February 4, 2019

I’m just….how did Liam Neeson arrive at that particular answer during an interview

— nuanced opinion guy (@charles_kinbote) February 4, 2019

I see #LiamNeeson is trending because his career just died.

— Dr. Rebecca Martinez (@BeckyGMartinez) February 4, 2019

LIAM NEESON: I'll tell you a story.

ME: pic.twitter.com/fwwvzhHeaw

— Sir WarGit, a Fyfe Robertson fan account (@WarGit) February 4, 2019

Me: Liam Neeson is trending, new movie?

Me 10 seconds later: ok bye pic.twitter.com/FupF6yZ5Ad

— Big Head Sam (@BIGHEADSAM) February 4, 2019

Would Liam Neeson have that same energy if the attacker was white?

— Reece " class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@reecestweetz) February 4, 2019