Actors Apologize After People Get Offended Over Joke About a Fictional Female Character

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans have apologized for what they called their "tasteless" joking about the sole female Avenger, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow.

Jeremy Renner (AP Photo)

The actors both issued apologies Thursday after teasing the "Avengers: Age of Ultron" character with derogatory slurs. When asked in an earlier video interview about the possibility of a romance between the Black Widow and Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner, Renner called her "a slut" and Evans added that she's "a complete whore," as they both laughed.

Evans, who plays Captain America, apologized and said they responded to a question "in a juvenile and offensive way that rightfully angered some fans." Renner, who plays Hawkeye, said he was sorry "that this tasteless joke about a fictional character offended anyway."

Renner added: "Just poking fun during an exhausting and tedious press tour."

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