Anthony Anderson Under Fire For Making 'Cringe' Comment Toward Lindsay Lohan In Resurfaced Clip

Anthony Anderson is facing backlash from fans for displaying what many believe to be inappropriate behavior during a resurfaced interview with Lindsay Lohan.

Shortly after the interview from December 2003 began going viral, Anthony Anderson issued a statement through his representative, addressing the incident and expressing his respect for Lindsay Lohan.

In December 2003, Anderson hosted an episode of "The Sharon Osbourne Show," which featured a 17-year-old Lohan promoting her new film, "Freaky Friday."

During the interview, the pair chatted about Lohan's personal life, which, at the time, involved moving in with fellow Disney star Raven Symoné.

"Both of you are beautiful women. Both of you are young and have your individual styles," Anderson stated before asking a question that clearly caught Lohan off guard.

"What gentlemen will be at the new pad with you and Raven-Symoné?" the "Black-ish" actor asked.

"No one. I don't have a boyfriend," Lohan replied, to which Anderson shouted to the audience, "She's single, but looking!"

Lohan then said, "I'm illegal for people that are old," prompting Anderson to reply, "Some men like them young."

He continued, "We ain't gonna mention no names, but I'm one of them."

Once the resurfaced video began circulating, Anderson issued a statement through his representative, attempting to frame his comments as "comedy."

"This interview was clearly intended as comedy. He regrets if the humor was in poor taste and maintains the utmost respect for Lindsay," Anderson's team told Entertainment Weekly. "Any implication to the contrary is both inaccurate and potentially defamatory."

Fans immediately responded to Anderson's statement, slamming the actor for crossing a boundary.

"It wasn't clear and it wasn't funny," someone wrote, while another commented, "How is that a joke? And why would you tell it to a 17-year-old?"

"Nothing is funny about what he said," someone else quipped. "Who jokes like that?"

And the negative feedback didn't end there.

Another user posted, "A grown man shouldn't be making that comment regardless even as a joke. It's cringe and offensive."

Someone else posted an interesting take, writing, "If you let men talk long enough, they'll tell on themselves."

"I get 'comedy,' but this wasn't it, bruh," another shared. "Sh-t was creepy."

Someone else slammed Anderson for not taking accountability, adding, "I'm sorry, when did pedophilia become a joke?"

Anderson's resurfaced comments aren't the first time the actor has been under fire for alleged inappropriate behavior.

According to Business Insider, Anderson was accused of sexual assault in July 2004 by an actor on the set of "Hustle & Flow."

A 25-year-old woman claimed she was "lured" into a trailer where Anderson and one of the film's directors, Wayne Witherspoon, "began removing her clothing and began sexually assaulting" her.

The complaint also alleged that the two men physically restrained her and took photos of her private parts without her consent.

A witness said that they heard screams from the trailer, and after unlocking the door, a woman ran away without any clothes on.

As a result, Anderson was charged with rape and released after posting a $20,000 bond.

In a statement, Anderson's spokesperson said the actor "is a happily married family man who has never been accused of — no less involved in — anything remotely like this."

A judge later dropped the case against Anderson.

Shortly after, in September 2004, Anderson was accused again by a woman who claimed he assaulted her in his dressing room on the set of the WB series "All About the Andersons."

Years later, in 2018, according to an exclusive report from The Blast, Anderson was accused once more of assaulting a woman who catered an event he was hosting.

LAPD told The Blast, "We have a crime report listing him as a suspect in a crime," adding, "It is an open investigation."

Anderson's representative, however, denied the allegations, saying, "It's unfortunate that anyone can file a police report whether it is true or false. The authorities have not contacted Anthony or any of his representatives about this matter. Anthony unequivocally disputes the claim."