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Sharon Stone, the actress and model, has apologised to the people of China after suggesting the country deserved to be struck by a catastrophic earthquake this month as a karmic reward for Beijing’s treatment of Tibet.
A grovelling apology was issued by Christian Dior, Stone’s employer in China, who have encountered a bitter reaction to their adverts featuring the Hollywood star since her remarks earlier in the week.
The Basic Instinct actress said: "Due to my inappropriate words and acts during the interview, I feel deeply sorry and sad about hurting Chinese people.
"I am willing to take part in the relief work of China's earthquake, and wholly devote myself to helping affected Chinese people."
The statement of contrition was released by the Shanghai office of the Christian Dior fashion house, who have dropped all their adverts that include images of the 50-year-old actress.
As many as 80,000 people died in the May 12 earthquake in southwest China, which devastated a mountainous corner of Sichuan province. More than 20,000 are still missing as the nation attempts to come to terms with its worst natural disaster in a generation.
While rescue efforts continued in China, Stone was in the south of France attending the Cannes Film Festival last week.
In a red carpet interview she called the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, a “good friend” and criticised Beijing for the unrest in Tibet earlier in the year.
“And then all this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and I thought, is that karma - when you’re not nice that the bad things happen to you?” she said.
Chinese bloggers, who were particularly active in criticising the West over its attitude towards Tibet, have exploded in anger over Stone’s comments.
“Don’t give any attention to this old lady - don’t watch her movies, don’t buy the products she represents,” read a typical response.
The official Xinhua News Agency said in a commentary today that she was the "public enemy of all mankind" and several Chinese cinemas have already pledged not to screen her films.
Today Dior has admitted that it fears any association with Stone will affect their sales.
“Due to some customer reaction we have decided to pull her image from all of the department stores and from all of China,” Christian Dior China said in a statement.
“We just want our customers and fans to realise that her personal comments are not related to the company and of course we don’t support any type of commentary that will hurt the feelings of our customers.”
Stone has a modelling contract with the cosmetics arm of the luxury retailer for which newly-rich China is a fast-growing market.
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talking about the so called "ethical and unethical behaviors have inevitable consequences", should everyone blame american government for the hurricane happened a few years ago? and the 911? nobody treat these as something "interesting" to talk about, for it is innocent people who lost their lives!
claire, Tianjin, China
if people new a little more about the meaning of the word,karma,they might think twice before condemning sharon stone,the chinese govt. was warned in advance about the earthquake and did nothing to notify it's people,schools collapsed on children's heads while government buildings remained standing
jeff, montreal, canada
It's true that Stone's comments were thoughtless and stupid, but this is nothing. In one of Nicholas Kristof's column blogs on the New York Times, it says that it's better for all those small children to have died in the earthquake than for them to grow up to be Chinese.
The US press......
Larry, Shanghai, China
It was a naive, ignorant, stupid comment that nevertheless I am sure is also echoed by a lot of other naive, ignorant, stupid people in this world. Unfortunately there are still multitudes of folk who prefer to stick their heads in supernatural clouds, rather than learn about geological earth.
Jean, the hague, netherlands.
This woman lost 1 billion audience for this stupid word
Boris Ford, Surrey,
I am glad that that profound theologian Sharon Stone has had the courage to admit that for once in her long life of rigorously thought-out religious exegesis, she has made an error.
Kevin Straw, Leicester,
Sharon Stone, Your Karma will come soon !
LEE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Stone also said:"It's (the earthquake) interesting." I do not know why do Times、BBC 、CNN etc. not mention this point.
Fuqi zheng, Wuhan, China
English proverb:" Look before you leap, think before you speak." Where has this wisdom gone? If I had spoken unwisely nobody would have noticed. But this Star had angered the hearts of a potential 1.3 bullion fans & more.
Hope all others (yes Actors & actresses too) will learn to do & speak wisely.
Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
We Chinese people don't accept such saying sorry cause it is not from her real heart.
Sharon Stone, your bad karma will come!
Klagemauer, Ningbo, China
My dear Chinese Bros.& Sisters,
Let's not be distracted from our focus on the Sichuan disaster. It is more important. The people need to rebuild their lives urgently. The task ahead is great.
If Ms Stone is genuinely remorseful, let her begin her journey of 1000 miles to repair the damage.
Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
I am shocked by her remarks. I think she got a "STONE" heart. Its Unforgivable.
nusha bush, NYC, USA
Free speech is not free. Finally Ms. Stone is trying to pay for it. But it's too later. Check out the survey in Chinese Website, 90%+ people don't accept her apology.
A interesting saying from Chinese popshow. "If apology works, why we need policemen".
Tao, Hangzhou, China
I don't see any remorse or regret in this official statement and I honestly don't believe there is any planted in her mind. It is a natural refelection of her as her true self; that is what she is. And that is how she sees human life in general anyway. Damage already done,for good,like the quake.
Michael, Shanghai, China
So according to the logic of Ms Stone, America got what it deserved with the hurricane devastating New Orleans a few years back because Bush invaded Irak and caused the death of thousands of innocent people? How very shallow, how very Hollywood.
anna , Hastings, England
There may be some hope if Sharon apology is real. If her contrition and her offer to help in the relief work are genuine, she should travel at once to China and China should make her trip possible to eat, stay with the earthquake victims and feel the untold human suffering. No excuse for her delay
Y. King, Milton Keynes, UK
Why should those innocent people pay for the political o eligious conflicts happened in China? Or Sharon Stone should pay for what the american government did in Iraq? Her words have neither logic nor humanity,
Selen, Amoy,
Sometimes apologies just ain't enough. That said, there's nothing Sharon Stone can do now but live with the fact that she has revealed her true self to the whole world.
Man Yi Yuan, Shanghai , China
The Chinese will decide for themselves in this, but Ms. Stone was saying only what they have said for thousands of years and inherent in T''ian, their cultural rationale for governance: That there is cause and effect in nature, and that ethical and unethical behaviors have inevitable consequences.
Malafry, Victoria, Canada
Do not only apologize after you hurt someone deeply.You should think twice when you're ready to say or do something.
Being a Chinese,when I saw some of your eyes were covered with lies and rumour,I'm deeply frustrating......We need truth and fairness.
Zhang Xiaoyu, Hunan, China