'Tower Heist' director Brett Ratner apologizes for gay slur

Director and upcoming Academy Awards telecast producer Brett Ratner has issued an apology for using a gay slur on Friday (Nov. 4) after a screening of his new movie, "Tower Heist."

When asked by a panel moderator to describe how rehearsal for the movie -- which stars an ensemble cast including Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller -- went, Ratner replied, "Rehearsal? What's that? Rehearsal's for fags."

The audience was, according to The Wrap, stunned. GLAAD on Monday issued a statement:

"This language is completely unacceptable, and for a well-known director like Ratner to use it so cavalierly a manner in a public setting sends a dangerous message that slurs like this are okay to use."

Ratner, via Universal, issued a quick reply:

"I apologize for any offense my remarks caused. It was a dumb way of expressing myself. Everyone who knows me knows that I don't have a prejudiced bone in my body. But as a storyteller I should have been much more thoughtful about the power of language and my choice of words."

Last week, Ratner was similarly eloquent when he admitted he'd dated actress Olivia Munn:

"I used to date Olivia Munn ... when she was Lisa," Ratner said on G4's "Attack of the Show." "That was the problem. She wasn't Asian back then.