Will Smith 'incensed' over claims he praised Hitler

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The Hollywood superstar was quoted in Scottish newspaper the Daily Record as saying that the Nazi dictator was essentially a "good" person.

In a story published in the paper on Saturday, Smith was cited as saying: "Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'let me do the most evil thing I can do today.' I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was 'good."'

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A fuming Smith now claims to be 'incensed' over what he calls a 'ludicrous misinterpretation' over his Hitler quote

The quote was preceded by the writer's observation: "Remarkably, Will believes everyone is basically good."

A fuming Smith now claims to be "incensed" over what he calls a "ludicrous misinterpretation".

The Hollywood A-lister, currently appearing in UK cinemas in the critically acclaimed I Am Legend, released an irate statement through his publicist, saying: "It is an awful and disgusting lie. It speaks to the dangerous power of an ignorant person with a pen. I am incensed and infuriated to have to respond to such ludicrous misinterpretation."

Smith added: "Adolf Hitler was a vile, heinous vicious killer responsible for one of the greatest acts of evil committed on this planet."

Abraham H. Foxman from Jewish human rights group the Anti-Defamation League said he accepts Smith's explanation that his quote was misinterpreted.

He said: "We welcome and accept Will Smith's statement that Hitler was a 'vicious killer' and that he did not mean for his remarks about the Nazi leader to be mistaken as praise."

Foxman added: "Words can be twisted by those with hate and bigotry in their hearts. This is why all celebrities bear a special responsibility to weigh their words carefully, and an obligation to speak out against racism and bigotry whenever even a whiff of it appears, as Will Smith has done in this instance."