AceShowbiz - John Mayer has told fans he's ready for a fresh start after the recent controversy over his Playboy interview, insisting "it's a clean me now, people." The singer has been mired in scandal since the publication of the racy chat with the adult magazine, in which he used the 'N' word when talking about his African-American fanbase and revealed lurid details about his sex life with ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson.

He apologized for his offensive comments, and proved how much the controversy had affected him when he broke down in tears onstage in Tennessee just days after the interview came to light. At a concert in New York City on Thursday night, February 25, Mayer once again responded to the recent scandal - thanking the audience at Madison Square Garden for supporting him through the testing time, according to MTV.com.

He told the crowd, "I hate to come off like an a**hole ever, and thank you guys for believing that I am not an a**hole. Never, ever in my entire life did I ever think that it would be a good idea to be an a**hole. But you know what? There's plenty of a**holes who think the same thing, so I have to thank you. It's a clean me now, people, clean me."