Jim Breuer Regrets ‘Invasion of Privacy’ Caused by AC/DC Comments
Comedian Jim Breuer started something of a PR ruckus when he claimed that the members of AC/DC were kicking his friend Brian Johnson out of the band, and in the days since making his initial remarks, he's continued trying to clarify his story.
The story got started after Breuer visited Johnson at home and later recounted their conversation on an episode of his podcast, describing Johnson as "really depressed" and saying he'd been "kicked to the curb" over concerns relating to his problems with hearing loss. Once coverage started to snowball, Breuer tried walking back his comments, claiming that he got "carried away" and had mostly been "venting."
Naturally, the subject was foremost in Breuer's mind when the podcast reconvened the following week, and he started the episode (which you can listen to below) by attempting to further explain where he'd been coming from when he initially shared the story — as well as his embarrassment over putting Johnson and the other members of the group in an awkward spot.
"No," said Breuer when asked whether he thought the band members were angry. "I think a little bit of ... invasion of privacy. I apologized ... I talked in a conversation, not realizing it would be that crazy. It was a very intimate, private conversation that I kinda put out there."
Although he told his co-hosts that he feels "like an a--hole" for what he said and made it clear that the "kicked to the curb" quote had come from him and not Johnson, Breuer stopped short of saying he'd made anything up. "Not fabricated, but, you know ... I also left out a lot, you know," he continued. "Like Brian going on about how great Angus is, and he's the messiah and all this jazz. I just didn't know it would be that crazy. I didn't even read anything. I was too mortified that I kinda invaded their privacy, and ... I felt really bad. I still feel really bad. I feel awful. I should have called and said, 'Hey, man, I was talking on a podcast and I kinda mentioned some things.'"
At this point, Breuer is hoping the story serves as the start of an open conversation between the members of AC/DC about Johnson's future with the band and his long-term health prognosis. But either way, he seems to regret opening his mouth.
"I was talking as a friend and a fan," Breuer explained. "I was like, 'What the hell, man?' ... I just felt terrible. But it's not my right to do that, you know what I mean? It's not my right to go out and say, 'Hey, here's what happened, and here's the official word, and here's what's going on.'"
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