Elijah Wood has a clarification to make.
The “Wilfred” star has issued a statement claiming that he was misinterpreted after comments he made about child abuse in Hollywood yielded widespread headlines.
In a statement obtained by TheWrap, Wood says that his interview with the Sunday Times has prompted “a number of false and misleading headlines.”
The actor was quoted as referencing the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal in England and noting, “Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organized. There are a lot of vipers in this industry, people who only have their own interests in mind. … There is darkness in the underbelly — if you can imagine it, it’s probably happened.”
Wood went on to opine that child abuse in Hollywood was “still a problem,” adding, “these things probably still are happening.”
In a statement issued Monday, Wood said that he had spoken about the topic because he had “just seen a powerful documentary.”
He also adamantly denied that he had experienced or witnessed such abuse.
“I had just seen a powerful documentary and I briefly spoke with the reporter about the subject which had consequences I did not intend or expect. Lesson learned. Let me be clear: This subject of child abuse is an important one that should be discussed and properly investigated,” Wood said. “But as I made absolutely clear to the writer, I have no first-hand experience or observation of the topic, so I cannot speak with any authority beyond articles I have read and films I have seen.”