Robert Pattinson Responds to Late Night Gaffe Promoting ‘Good Time’

Robert Pattinson has responded to backlash over an anecdote he shared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” about a scene involving a dog in “Good Time,” the new movie directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, in which the actor plays a bank robber trying to save his mentally-disabled brother.

On the show, Pattinson referenced a deleted scene in which his character encounters a sexually-aroused dog; his anecdote created the impression that he was pressured to engage in bestiality. That prompted a statement in support of Pattinson from PETA, and an Instagram post from director Josh Safdie explaining that the scene with the dog involved a prosthetic, but no pressure to engage in any real sexual behavior. Now, Pattinson has weighed in, sharing the following statement with IndieWire:

The story I told on Jimmy Kimmel last night seems to have spiraled out of control. What didn’t come across is that this was supposed to be a joke. No one at all expected or assumed that anything like that would happen on the “Good Time” set.  We are all huge animal lovers and would obviously never do anything to harm an animal. Everyone involved in “Good Time” are amazing professionals and have come together to make a movie that I’m extremely proud of. I feel embarrassed that in the moment, I was trying to make Jimmy laugh, only to create confusion and a false impression.

The movie is the latest example of Pattinson’s move to work with a range of festival-acclaimed filmmakers: He’s currently at work on “High Life,” from veteran French director Claire Denis, and also recently wrapped production on David Zellner’s “Damsels.” The Safdies’ “Good Time,” which premiered to raves at Cannes in May, opens August 11.