In what is arguably a first, Milo Yiannopoulos has apologised for his offensive remarks. Not for his usual vitriolic remarks, which make each of his public appearances seem like a study in hate speech, but for a statement that came off as an endorsement of paedophilia.
The feisty right wing commentator was captured in a video defending sexual relationships between teenage boys and older men as an experience that “can be hugely positive”, as “those older men help those younger boys discover who they are”.
The usually unabashed contrarian claimed that his statement was taken out of context and that he was speaking about his own experience as a young gay teenager when he claimed that the age of consent is “not this black-and-white thing”.
His apology remained unaccepted as this revelation cost him a speaking engagement, a $250,000 book publishing deal with a Simon & Schuster imprint, as well as his position as senior editor of Breitbart News, after employees threatened to step out if he remained in place.
Breitbart News has been instrumental in spreading the ‘alt-right’ ideology that Donald Trump campaigned on, and its former executive, Steve Bannon, is now the White House’s chief strategist.
Some predict this turn of events will mark the fall of Yiannopoulos, who changed his name from Hanrahan, adopting his grandmother’s maiden name. In one of his editorials, the agitator described Greeks as lazy, hairy people who deserve all punishment sent to them for their financial conduct.