Following a return to the sets of The Flash, actor Ezra Miller has issued an official apology, with a particular focus on seeking help for ‘complex mental health issues’.
The statement, which came from the 29-year-old via a representative, was sent to The Hollywood Reporter late this Monday. It reads:
“Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment. I want to apologize to everyone that I have been alarmed and upset with my past behaviour. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
The statement itself refers to a long pattern of problematic behaviour associated with the actor, who spent a great deal of the previous year garnering attention for incidents of assault, harassment, and more. Two cases in Hawaii — one involving disorderly conduct at a karaoke bar, the other an alleged assault at a woman’s residence — resulted in two arrests. Another case involves allegations of grooming indigenous activist Takota Iron Eyes from the age of 12, although the now-18-year-old denies the claims.
Most recently, Miller was charged on August 8th on counts of felony burglary in their home state of Vermont, where they allegedly stole bottles of alcohol from an unoccupied local home earlier this May.
Despite Miller’s apology, reactions from Twitter have been largely mixed, with several debating the trajectory of his career, the sincerity of his statement, and whether or not the ‘mental health’ angle ought to be respected:
I hope the worst for them. Multiple people including confirmed they or other people experienced abuse while at Ezra Miller’s farm. Even Tokata Iron Eyes’ most recent interview sounds like a DV victim making excuses.https://t.co/6a4uNc2TSxhttps://t.co/xrDmp2k5dX!
— Rainbow 6 Operative 🌈 (@IpeeteeO) August 16, 2022
“2) Ezra Miller plays no part in the film’s promotion”
— nlolhere and 100 others (@nlolhere) August 16, 2022
Kinda hard to do that when Ezra is THE main character of the whole thing. The movie is named after the character he’s playing. And I doubt they’d wanna scrap the film at this point, considering it’s probably almost finished
I hope the worst for them. Multiple people including confirmed they or other people experienced abuse while at Ezra Miller’s farm. Even Tokata Iron Eyes’ most recent interview sounds like a DV victim making excuses.https://t.co/6a4uNc2TSxhttps://t.co/xrDmp2k5dX!
— Rainbow 6 Operative 🌈 (@IpeeteeO) August 16, 2022
Much of the debate surrounding Miller’s words is tied to his most high-profile project, The Flash. The DC title has been discussed at length by fans and studio executives alike, the latter of whom recently shared three possible ways of dealing with Miller’s situation. These ranged from placing a media embargo on the actor and recasting him in the future, to straight-up cancelling the $200 million flick, and finally the most likely option: ensuring Miller gets mental health help and eventually discusses their state of mind in a tell-all interview.
Miller’s mother Marta is currently accompanying them, and their statement — which does not specifically own up to any particular offence — comes right after his return to Warner Bros. sets. With plenty of money and a big DC roadmap on the line, it’s likely that WB will continue to harbour Miller for the time being, which may continue to tick off several parts of the fandom.
The Flash is scheduled to release in June 2023.
Lead Image: Warner Bros.
