Gere Offers A "Sincere Apology" to the "Moral Police in India"

For Richard Gere, it's kiss and tell time. In an attempt to assuage the anger of hard-line Hindu groups over his infamous grip, dip and smooch with actress Shilpa Shetty--a failed parody of a move from Gere's film Shall We Dance for which a judge in Jaipur issued arrest warrants for both stars for violating obscenity laws--he has offered a statement through Heroes Project, the organization he co-founded to combat AIDS in India:

"What is most important to me is that my intentions as an HIV/AIDS advocate be made clear, and that my friends in India understand that it has never been, nor could it ever be, my intention to offend you. If that has happened, of course it is easy for me to offer a sincere apology."

Last night, the actor, who left India shortly after the incident, had more to say on Comedy Central's The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (which recently featured Portfolio's Matt Cooper):

"There is a very small, right-wing, very conservative political party in India, and they are the moral police in India and they do this kind of thing quite often. I don't know that anyone has actually gone to jail, it has to go through a process. It goes to a reputable court, and they throw it out."

Gere Apologizes in Kissing Controversy [AP]
Gere says "end the circus" over public kiss [Reuters]