SYDNEY (AFP) – Humingi ng kapatawaran ang Matchbox 20 frontman na si Rob Thomas sa kanyang sinabing nakararanas siya ng jet lag dahil sa pag-inom hanggang sa siya ay maging “black Australian”.

Nakatanggap ng katakut-takot na reaksiyon ang American Grammy Award-winning rocker.

“What you do is, when you get on the plane on your way here, you start drinking. And then I drink until I think I’m Australian. And I keep drinking until I think I’m a black Australian,” pahayag ni Thomas, ayon sa mga ulat.

Nang maging mainit sa social media, ginamit niya ang Facebook para humingi ng paumanhin.

“Please understand that although it is no excuse, I was completely unaware that in Australia there is a polarising social issue happening right now involving indigenous people and alcohol,” aniya.

“When I was made aware of it, the ground fell out beneath me, and I realised that people may now see me as the exact opposite of who I am.

“I’m sitting here in my hotel room completely gutted that a joke that I made was much more relevant to the times in Australia than I realised. I feel like a fool and apologise to all Australians.”

Nanirahan ang Aborigines sa Australia sa loob halos 40,000 taon at ang kanilang bilang ay umabot na sa 670,000 mula sa kabuuang 24 milyong populasyon ng bansa.

Sa kanyang naging pahayag nitong Lunes, sinabukan din ni Thomas, nagpi-perform din bilang solo artist, na ipaliwanag ang kanyang “joke”.

“I made a comment about drinking so much on the long flight over that I started to think I was something I’m not,” aniya.

At nang malaman niyang minasama ito ng mga netizen, “I sat in my room and I cried”, he said.

“I have seen people comment that after coming here for so long I should know that there is a connection between the indigenous peoples of Australia and a stereotype involving drinking. Embarrassingly, I truly didn’t.”