Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Apologizes for Crude Oral Sex Comment
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford blames "pressure" of his scandals for crude comment.
Nov. 14, 2013 -- Toronto's beleaguered mayor who has surprised his city with almost daily revelations about crack use, drug purchases and drunken stupors shocked a live news conference today with a crude comment about oral sex.
Mayor Rob Ford apologized for the comment a short time later, and blamed the "pressure" of his ongoing scandal.
Ford's latest stunner occurred as he denied allegations in police documents that he told a former staffer he wanted to engage in oral sex with her.
Sporting a Canadian football jersey with "Mayor Ford" written on the back, he told reporters his sexual needs were more than fulfilled.
"It says that I wanted to eat her p****," he said on live TV. "I've never said that in my life to her. I would never do that. I'm happily married. I've got more than enough to eat at home."
His comments left one reporter open mouthed and speechless as she turned to her camera.
Ford returned a short time later with the football jersey replaced by a suit jacket and tie.
"I want to apologize for my graphic remarks this morning. Yesterday I mentioned it was the second worst day of my life, except for the death of my father. For the past six months, I have been under tremendous, tremendous stress," he said.
"I have apologized, and I have tried to move forward. This has proven to be almost impossible. The revelations yesterday of cocaine, escorts, prostitution, has pushed me over the line, and I used unforgivable language, and again, I apologize. These allegations are 100 percent lies," he said.
But he blamed the accusation against him for goading him into his foul-mouth response.
"When you attack my integrity as a father, and as a husband, I see red. Today, I acted on complete impulse in my remarks," Ford said.
He added, "I wish you to know I'm receiving support from a team of health care professionals. I am taking accountability and receiving advice from people with expertise."
It was the second time in two days that Ford apologized.
Speaking Wednesday after the Toronto city council voted to call on Ford to take a leave of absence, Ford said he was sorry for his behavior.
"I sincerely apologize," he told council members. "I cannot change the past."
Ford has been dogged by controversy since video surfaced months ago of him allegedly smoking crack cocaine, to which he later admitted. He has refused to step down or, as the Toronto city council called on him to do Wednesday, take a leave of absence.