Steve Rannazzisi confesses that he was not at the Trade Center when the twin towers fell, saying that he is 'ashamed' and asks for forgiveness.
- Sep 16, 2015
AceShowbiz - Stephen Rannazzisi admits to fabricating 9/11 escape story that he repeatedly told in various interviews over the past years. The comedian who stars on FXX's series "The League" apologizes for his lies just days after the 14th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed nearly 3,000 lives in the U.S.
"I was not at the Trade Center on that day," 37-year-old Rannazzisi says to New York Times in a statement provided by his publicist, Matthew Labov. "I don't know why I said this. This was inexcusable. I am truly, truly sorry."
"For many years, more than anything," he continues. "I have wished that, with silence, I could somehow erase a story told by an immature young man. It only made me more ashamed. How could I tell my children to be honest when I hadn't come clean about this?"
"It was profoundly disrespectful to those who perished and those who lost loved ones," he concludes. "The stupidity and guilt I have felt for many years has not abated. It was an early taste of having a public persona, and I made a terrible mistake. All I can ask is for forgiveness."
Steve Rannazzisi previously claimed that he was on the 54th floor of the south tower working at Merrill Lynch's offices when the first plane crashed. He said he managed to run to safety just minutes before another attack. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack, he realized that life was too precious so he decided to move to L.A. to pursue his dream job as an entertainer.
The comedian continued telling his escape story despite saying that it was a sensitive topic for him and that he didn't want to seem like "cashing in or anything like that." He started to play down his account in the recent years. "I was outside, really," he said in a 2013 interview when the story was brought up again. "I was working downtown at that time."
Now Rannazzisi claims that he had been working in Midtown, and not for Merrill Lynch, when the twin towers fell. Merrill Lynch itself has no record of his employment and had no offices in either tower.
Buffalo Wild Wings, which taps the comedian to front their new ad, reacted to the revelation, "We are disappointed to learn of Steve's misrepresentations regarding the events of September 11, 2001. We are currently reevaluating our relationship with Steve pending a review of all the facts."
FXX hasn't commented on the matter.
