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Richard Gere has done the right thing by issuing a statement in which he apologized for his behavior. I am happy that Gere has acted this way. His kissing of Shilpa Shetty has caused a huge uproar in India and thanks to the continuous showing of the kissing scene in Indian TV channels, many people in India are angry with Richard Gere. A number of law suits have been filed against him and Shilpa Shetty and even an arrest warrant has been issued too.

This apology has come in a very crucial moment.

Times of India wrote:

Breaking his silence following the outcry over the kissing controversy involving Shilpa Shetty, Hollywood star Richard Gere on Friday offered to apologise if he had "offended" anyone.

"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 had happened, of course it is easy for me to offer a sincere apology," he said in a statement.

Gere's comments came a day after a Jaipur court issued an arrest warrant against him for planting a kiss on Shilpa's cheeks in public during an AIDS awareness programme in Delhi a fortnight back.

In his statement addressed to "My dear Indian friends" and released to the press, Gere said "to be honest, this recent media storm has taken me by surprise."

I do not know why Richard Gere is surprised at the media storm. He travels to India frequently and he knows about Indian culture. Kissing in public this way is not considered a decent act in any part of Asia. If he is so eager to kiss Indian actresses then he should leave Hollywood and join Bollywood movies.