Bill Murray has come out to address the kiss controversy that surrounded him during the 2022 production of Being Mortal. The film was supposed to be Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut and also included Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer in the cast alongside Murray. However, after allegations against Murray came to light, production on the project was halted, never to resume. Three years later, the veteran actor has shared his two cents on the claims made against him.
So, here’s what Murray had to say about his kiss incident during the filming of Being Mortal.
Bill Murray addresses Being Mortal allegations
The Groundhog Day star recently opened up about what happened on the set of Being Mortal.
Bill Murray noted that controversy arose when he kissed a co-star during production while the two were wearing masks. Appearing on The New York Times’ The Interview podcast, he explained, “I was wearing a mask, and I gave her a kiss, and she was wearing a mask. It wasn’t like I touched her. I gave her a kiss through a mask, through another mask, to another person.” Murray also confirmed that the woman in question “wasn’t a stranger” to him.
Despite the mystery person’s complaint halting the production of Being Mortal, Murray insisted that he only meant the kiss as a joke. Claiming that it was “something that I had done to someone else before,” he said, “I certainly thought it was light, and I thought it was funny. To me, it’s still funny, the idea that you could give someone a kiss with a mask on. It’s still stupid. That’s all it was.”
Bill Murray further added that the kiss incident bothered him to date, as it resulted in Being Mortal getting shut down. Meanwhile, Aziz Ansari has since moved on and will be making his directorial debut with Good Fortune. The upcoming movie stars Ansari himself, Seth Rogen, and Keanu Reeves, and will hit theatres on October 17, 2025.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on ComingSoon.net.
