Ian Somerhalder says his words about his onscreen kiss with James van der Beek in 2002’s The Rules of Attraction were misconstrued, according to Contact Music (CM never cares to cite their sources). The actor now wants to clear things up: “It’s not me who can’t handle it, it’s the audience. Seann William Scott didn’t get all of the backlash that I received when he did just the same in American Pie 2. It was completely unjustified – fans and outraged men saying that I was making anti-gay remarks. I wasn’t and those very close to me who are gay were visibly upset. I’d never make a disrespectful remark about anyone, especially in public, about one’s sexual preference.”
So what were those controversial statements? Somerhalder had talked to Out magazine about the kiss: “We knew that it was an opportunity to do something that was very different and fuck with people, frankly. We totally talked about it before, and the first thing we said is no tongue — definitely no tongue. I have this crazy newfound respect for women. I don’t ever plan on kissing a guy again, because it’s so fucking scratchy.”
