Elijah Wood made international headlines earlier this week after chatting with The Sunday Times about the “evil secret” of child predators in Hollywood. But in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Wood clarified that his remarks (which included statements like, “I’ve been led down dark paths to realize that these things probably are still happening”) were “wildly misinterpreted by the press.”

Wood explained that the interview was meant to be about his new film, a crime thriller called The Trust, but quickly “became about something else entirely,” adding:

“I had just seen a powerful documentary and I briefly spoke with the reporter about the subject, which had consequences I did not intend or expect. Lesson learned. Let me be clear: This subject of child abuse is an important one that should be discussed and properly investigated. But as I made absolutely clear to the writer, I have no firsthand experience or observation of the topic, so I cannot speak with any authority beyond articles I have read and films I have seen.”

The documentary Wood referenced in the interview was Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, which was released last year. It was a box office bomb.

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