Steve Martin apologises for racist joke

Los Angeles: `Pink Panther` star Steve Martin has apologised for allegedly making racist remarks.

The 68-year-old actor recently made headlines because of a Twitter post which is said to have offended some African-American people, reported Ace Showbiz. "I am very upset that a tweet I sent out last week has been interpreted by some to be insulting to African Americans," Martin tweeted. "To those who were offended, again, I offer a deep, sincere, and humble apology without reservation," he added. On December 21, a fan had asked Martin, "Is this how you spell lasonia?" To which, he responded, "It depends. Are you in an African-American neighbourhood or at an Italian restaurant?" However, he immediately deleted the post and even apologised for writing it. But, many African-Americans were upset with the post. After the apology, the `Cheaper by the Dozen` star then explained the situation, saying that he tried to crack a joke with grammar questions. "I replied with what I hoped were funny answers. I was going along fine when someone wrote, `How do you spell `lasonia?` I wrote: `It depends if you are in an African American neighbourhood or an Italian restaurant.` I knew of the name Lasonia," he wrote. "I did not make it up, nor do I find it funny. So to me the answer was either Lasonia (with a capital), or Lasagna, depending on what you meant. That they sounded alike in this rare and particular context struck me as funny. That was the joke," the actor added.