‘Green Book’ director Peter Farrelly apologizes for flashing his genitals at colleagues
“Green Book” director Peter Farrelly has apologized after a decades-old article resurfaced that made note of his habit of flashing his genitalia to colleagues.
It was first mentioned in a 1998 Newsweek article brought to light by New York magazine’s fashion vertical The Cut Wednesday.
In the article, Peter and his brother Bobby speak of tricking people into getting a peek at Peter’s genitalia, with Newsweek writing that the siblings have “concocted a variety of clever ploys designed to get you to look at it.”
Those mentioned as having fallen victim to the ploys include actress Cameron Diaz, then 25 and starring in “There’s Something About Mary,” and Fox executive Tom Rothman.
“When a director shows you his penis the first time you meet him, you’ve got to recognize the creative genius,” Diaz said.
Farrelly, 62, apologized for his past behavior in a statement obtained by the Daily News Thursday.
“I was an idiot. I did this decades ago and I thought I was being funny and the truth is I’m embarrassed and it makes me cringe now,” he said. “I’m deeply sorry.”
Farrelly’s “Green Book,” starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, won big at the Golden Globes Sunday and has been generating Oscar buzz despite being plagued by controversy.
Producer and co-writer Nick Vallelonga deleted his Twitter account Wednesday after a 2015 tweet in which he claimed to have seen “Muslims in Jersey City cheering” after 9/11 resurfaced.
“@realDonaldTrump 100 percent correct. Muslims in Jersey City cheering when towers went down. I saw it, as you did, possibly on local CBS News,” the tweet read.
The film centers on Vallelonga’s father, Frank, and his relationship with prodigy pianist Don Shirley, for whom he served as chauffeur in the early ‘60s during a tour of the Jim Crow-era Deep South.
Shirley’s family has been vocal in their criticism of the movie, which brother Maurice deemed a “symphony of lies” for its portrayal of Don’s relationship with black culture and his family.
“I didn’t know (his family was) around. I made contact, and I’ve spoken to the studio and everyone, and I have to move on at this point,” Ali said after the Golden Globes.
Maurice told the Daily News earlier this week he harbors no ill will toward Ali. 11:00 11:30