Dennis Rodman issued an apology for his behavior during an interview on CNN Tuesday. When CNN host Chris Cuomo asked about the detention of American citizen Kenneth Bae in North Korea, Rodman replied with a mostly senseless, insult-ridden rant.
Now, Rodman's publicist has sent a statement to the Associated Press, apologizing to Kenneth Bae's family and Chris Cuomo.
"Some of my teammates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates. My dreams of basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart. I had been drinking. It's not an excuse but by the time the interview happened I was upset. I was overwhelmed. It's not an excuse, it's just the truth."
"At this point, I should know better than to make political statements. I'm truly sorry."
Kenneth Bae, an American citizen living in China who was working as a tour guide in North Korea, was sentenced to 15 years in a labor camp for allegedly trying to overthrow the North Korean government.
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In an interview with CNN, Kenneth Bae's sister Terri Chung said she was outraged by Rodman's earlier comments.
"He was in a position to do some good and to help advocate for Kenneth. He refused to do so. But then instead he has chosen to hurl these outrageous accusations against Kenneth," Chung said Tuesday.
Dennis Rodman has made several trips to North Korea. Most recently, he traveled to Pyongyang with several of his former teammates to play an exhibition game for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
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