Der Spiegel releases full audio from Morrissey interview after singer refutes controversial remarks

German newspaper said it was releasing the audio to counter singer's suggestion that it had incorrectly reproduced his comments

Morrissey performing at a show in March 2017 (Getty)

German newspaper Der Spiegel has published what it says is the full audio of its interview with Morrissey after he refuted controversial quotes that appeared in the article.

In a lengthy Facebook post titled 'The Slander System', the former Smiths frontman appeared to suggest he was misquoted when making remarks about subjects such as Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, and said the publication had not conveyed his views in a fair way.

In the original write-up of the interview, Morrissey was quoted as saying that Spacey had been “attacked unnecessarily” over accusations of sexual assault and also reportedly suggested that he would kill US President Donald Trump if given the opportunity.

Responding to his Facebook post, Der Spiegel published a new article which included audio of the conversation between Morrissey and the journalist who interviewed him.

“In a Facebook post, Morrissey doubted that the Spiegel had correctly reproduced his comments and observed that we had not yet published the recording of the conversation, as an indirect admission of guilt,” the article stated. “To counter this, we have decided to put the interview online, even if it is self-evident from our point of view that interviews published in Spiegel do not contain false or misleading citations.”

In the audio there is a moment where the interviewer makes clear to say Morrissey did not have to answer a question about politics if he did not want to, as she had been told to avoid the subject.

“If there was a button and you pressed it and he [Trump] drops dead, would you press it?” she asks him, after Morrissey says Donald Trump is a “danger to social security”.

“I would, for the safety of the human race,” Morrissey says in response to the question. “It's nothing to do with my personal opinion of his face, or his life, or his family. But in the interest of the human race, I would, yes. I think he's a terrible, terrible scourge.”

Around halfway through the interview the journalist asks him about the controversy surrounding sexual misconduct in Hollywood.

“There are extreme cases: rape is revolting, and any kind of physical attack is revolting, but we must keep it in perspective,” Morrissey says in the audio. “Some people are very clumsy when it comes to romance, and if they meet somebody they're very awkward, and they don't know how to do it really, and how to let somebody know, so it can sometimes seem aggressive or dangerous.”

“What do you think that they cut Kevin Spacey out of films now?” the journalist asks.

The full audio shows Morrissey saying: “I think it's absurd, because as far as I understand the situation, he [Spacey] was in a hotel room with a 14-year-old. Well, Kevin Spacey was 26, the boy was 14. You have to wonder where the boy's parents were. You have to assume that the boy had an inkling of what might possibly happen.

“I mean I don't know about you, but in my youth I was never in situations like that. Never. I was always aware of where things could go. If you are in somebody's bedroom, you have to be aware of where it could lead to or say 'why are we here? Why aren't we downstairs in the lobby?' or... so it doesn't quite ring true to me, and it does seem that he [Spacey] has been unnecessarily attacked.”

Shortly after he continued, in apparent reference to the accusations against Harvey Weinstein: “You also must wonder if... people know exactly what's happening, and they go along with it. But then when it's happened they find that they're either embarrassed and they didn't really like it, so then they reverse it and say: 'I was ambushed, I was taken by surprise, I was dragged into the room'.

“But if the incident had gone very very well, and they had really enjoyed it, and it had led to an incredible career, they wouldn't mention it, and I hate to be that cynical because I hate rape and I hate attack and I hate any sexual situation that is forced on a person against their will. But in many many situations you look at the circumstances and you think the person that is called a victim is merely disappointed.”

The Independent has contacted Morrissey's representative for comment