Michelle Rodriguez claims Liam Neeson can't be racist: 'His tongue was so far down Viola Davis's throat'

Neeson's 'Widows' co-star defended him while speaking on the red carpet at an event in New York

After Liam Neeson’s brief attempt at damage control on Good Morning America, some of his fellow actors and co-stars are stepping in to defend him.

The Taken star gave a controversial interview with The Independent earlier this week in which he admitted he had walked the streets looking for a black man to kill, to get revenge after one of his friends was raped.

His story sparked a huge race row, which prompted the cancellation of the New York premiere for his new film, Cold Pursuit, and an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s US talk show.

:: Read the original, exclusive interview that started a global conversation

Neeson insisted he was not racist during the GMA interview, but many believed he “made matters worse” by refusing to acknowledge that his actions were racially motivated.

Speaking at the amfAR Gala in New York on Wednesday night, Rodriguez, who starred in the Steve McQueen heist drama Widows, jumped to defend her colleague.

“It’s all f***in’ bulls**t,” she told Vanity Fair. “Dude, have you watched Widows? His tongue was so far down Viola Davis’s throat. You can’t call him a racist ever. Racists don’t make out with the race that they hate, especially in the way he does with his tongue – so deep down her throat. I don’t care how good of an actor you are. It’s all bulls**t. Ignore it. He’s not a racist. He’s a loving man. It’s all lies.”

Rodriguez’s comments come after Whoopi Goldberg also spoke out, and said “you can’t be surprised that somebody whose loved one is attacked is angry and wants to go out and attack”.

Neeson said he was “shocked” by the way he reacted at the time: ”It shocked me and it hurt me,” he said. “I did seek help.”

The Independent has contacted Viola Davis’s representative for comment.