Alan Cumming has responded to Piers Morgan's attack on him over returning his OBE earlier this year, branding him 'pathetic' and 'disingenuous' .
The Scots actor received the honour in 2009 for his ‘activism for equal rights for the gay and lesbian community’ in the USA, but recently penned a lengthy Instagram statement. Alan, 58, announced his decision to hand back his OBE on his birthday in January and was met with fierce backlash from the former Good Morning Britain host.
Piers, 57, addressed the X-Men actors decision shortly after the news broke and wrote on Twitter: “What a pathetic, disingenuous, disloyal, attention-seeking little twerp.”
When being asked about the TalkTV host's fierce criticism of him on SiriusXM Progress radio, the Scots actor said his tweet has made him even more certain of his decision.
“I think if you’re pissing off Piers Morgan, you’re on the right track,” he said, adding: “I think that lump of ignorance – if I’m pissing him off, I’m doing the right thing.”
“For me, it was about the empire, and over the years and especially recently, I have been more educated about some of the stuff that happened with the British empire and indigenous peoples being abused and killed and remembering all that, and realising perhaps the good that the award did for me and the LGBT cause in 2009 was less needed now,” The Traitors US host said.
“Because we have got, thankfully for now, anyway, the rights that we were fighting for.”
He said it became “untenable” for him to keep the OBE due to his “misgivings about being associated with the idea of empire”.
The Uncensored host has since reacted to Cumming’s words, calling his “explanation” of the OBE return “comically disingenuous”.
Announcing the news on social media, the 58-year-old told his 479,000 followers: "The Queen’s death and the ensuing conversations about the role of monarchy and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes.
"Also, thankfully, times and laws in the US have changed, and the great good the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire (OBE stands for Officer of the British Empire)."
He concluded: "So I returned my award, explained my reasons and reiterated my great gratitude for being given it in the first place. I’m now back to being plain old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to me!"
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