Jim Carrey has been busy promoting his new movie Sonic the Hedgehog, where he plays villain Dr. Robotnik. But, when the 58-year-old actor sat down with journalist Charlotte Long from the U.K. publication Heat, he made a comment that has brought him a lot of criticism on social media.

“In the film, Sonic has a bucket list, I was wondering, after all you’ve done in your career and in your life, is there anything still left on your bucket list?” asked Long, to which Carrey replied, “Just you. That’s it. It’s all done now.”

In the video of the interview that Heat posted online, Long smiled and giggled after Carrey’s remark and told him, “I don’t know what to say to that.”

The innocent flirtation didn’t sit well with many people online, as some called Carey’s comment “unacceptable.” Was it unprofessional for Carrey to flirt with a reporter during an interview? Many would say “yes.” But, was his behavior really unacceptable? After all, it didn’t seem to bother Long at all.

Still, some of the responses on social media haven’t been kind.

“Look up ‘sleazeball’ in the dictionary and there’s a photo of @JimCarrey,” wrote one skeptic, and another added: “It’s not a cute moment. As a former reporter, I would be very embarrassed and offended if someone said this to me in an interview.”

One Twitter user wrote that they “lost respect” for Carrey after seeing the interview, and applauded Long for how she handled it.

There have also been fans who have defended Carrey for the comment, noting that the actor was simply complimenting Long because his interview with her was the last thing on his bucket list, not Long herself.

“He didn’t insinuate sex, he said he was done with his bucket list. It was an off the cuff remark. People need to relax. If anything he made it seem like it was the interview on his bucket list,” wrote a fan. “He was trying to be nice. Relax everyone.”

Another pointed out that Carrey’s remark was “as innocent as a line gets,” and he obviously meant the interview with her. The fan added that the “fake Jim Carrey outrage is insane.” The fan also noted that Carrey clearly meant the interview was on his bucket list because he said, “It’s done now.”

Advertisement

Sonic the Hedgehog opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.