Tom Hiddleston apologizes for controversial Golden Globes speech

MANILA, Philippines – Tom Hiddleston has apologized after being criticized  for his speech at the Golden Globes on Sunday, January 8 (Monday, January 9 in Manila).

In his speech, Tom talked about his experience in South Sudan, where he worked with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). A group of young men and women from Médecins Sans Frontières approached him to say hi, he said. (READ: Tom Hiddleston criticized for Golden Globes speech on South Sudan)

“They wanted to say hello because during the shelling the previous month, they had binge-watched The Night Manager,” said Tom. “And the idea that I could provide – or that we could provide – some relief and entertainment for the people who worked for UNICEF and Médecins Sans Frontières and the World Food Program, who are fixing the world in the places where it is broken, made me immensely proud.”

On social media, critics found Tom’s speech self-indulgent or awkward, and the seemingly disappointed reactions of those in the Golden Globes audience that night were turned into memes.

On Facebook, Tom, said that his speech was “inelegantly expressed.”

“I just wanted to say…I completely agree that my speech at the Golden Globes last night was inelegantly expressed. In truth, I was very nervous, and my words just came out wrong. Sincerely, my only intention was to salute the incredible bravery and courage of the men and women who work so tirelessly for UNICEF UK, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and World Food Programme, and the children of South Sudan, who continue to find hope and joy in the most difficult conditions. I apologize that my nerves got the better of me,” he wrote.

Tom gave his speech as he accepted his award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television for his work in The Night Manager.

Civil war broke out in South Sudan in December 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

In November 2016, the US sought to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan, after the UN said that the country could descend into genocide. – Rappler.com