Haley Joel Osment is apologizing after aiming an antisemitic slur at a police officer during his arrest last week at a California ski resort, according to reports.
Osment apologized for his use of the slur in a statement shared with People and the New York Post April 18 after his arrest footage surfaced the day prior.
“I’m absolutely horrified by my behavior. Had I known I used this disgraceful language in the throes of a blackout, I would have spoken up sooner,” Osment told the outlets. “The past few months of loss and displacement have broken me down to a very low emotional place.”
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Osment continued: “But that’s no excuse for using this disgusting word. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to absolutely everyone that this hurts. What came out of my mouth was nonsensical garbage – I’ve let the Jewish community down and it devastates me. I don’t ask for anyone’s forgiveness, but I promise to atone for my terrible mistake.”
On April 8, “The Sixth Sense” and “Forrest Gump” actor was arrested for disorderly conduct for public alcohol intoxication and possession of cocaine at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area resort in Mammoth Lakes, California, Mono County District Attorney David Anderson said in an April 17 statement.
What did Haley Joel Osment say?
In the nearly 2-minute footage shared by Page Six, Osment says, “I’m being detained.” Later, when asked what his name is, he replies, “I’m an American.”
Later in the footage, an arresting officer holds up Osment’s ID to other law enforcement officials and says, “You do recognize him right? That’s the actor … from ‘Sixth Sense,’ ‘Pay it Forward.’ That’s the kid actor.”
Inside the police car, as they are purportedly driving to a jail, Osment calls the officer a “Nazi” and later hurls an antisemitic slur about Jewish people.
“You’ll wish you treated me nicer,” Osment says to the officer. As he’s escorted into the jail in handcuffs by two officers, the actor says, “Good luck.”
Haley Joel Osment arrest follows prior legal troubles
Preceding his arrest in April, Osment was described as an “unruly skier,” according to a Mammoth Lakes Police Department media bulletin. The incident is still under investigation, People reports, and the Mono County District Attorney’s Office said the actor will be arraigned on July 7. At the time of his arrest, Osment, a Los Angeles native, was days away from his 37th birthday.
The “Blink Twice” actor has had previous run-ins with law enforcement, dating back nearly two decades. In 2018, media outlets reported the actor was involved in an argument at a Las Vegas airport on Super Bowl Sunday, with police being called to respond to an “unruly passenger.”
There was also a 2006 arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and misdemeanor drug possession, in an incident where he suffered a broken rib. The then-18-year-old Osment pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three years of probation, 60 hours in an alcohol rehabilitation program, attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous and a $1,500 fine.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman
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