Neil Patrick Harris apologizes for ‘tranny’ comment on ‘Live with Kelly’

Neil Patrick Harris quickly redeemed himself on Friday after making a remark the previous day that may have offended the LGBT community.

E! Online reports the 38-year-old openly gay star took to Twitter to offer an apology for implying he sounded like a ‘tranny’ after inhaling sulfur hexafluoride during a segment on Thursday’s Live with Kelly.

The How I Met Your Mother actor tweeted, “Truly sorry for saying the word ‘tranny’ on Live this week. Twice! Should have been more thoughtful. Didn’t at all mean to offend.”

Harris, who was filling in temporarily for the recently departed Regis Philbin, unintentionally made the remark during an experiment with special guest Science Bob. Science Bob coaxed Harris and Kelly Ripa into inhaling the anti-helium gas, which he referred to as “helium’s evil twin,” which distorts a person’s voice to sound deeper than it actually is.

Ripa took to a Darth Vader impersonation while Harris quoted The Silence of the Lambs villain Buffalo Bill with the line, “Put the lotion in the basket.” When the effect of the gas faded, Harris said, “I’ve never sounded more like a tranny in my life.”

Harris later realized the offensive nature of his statement and turned to the social networking site to make amends, which The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has since commended him for.

“It’s heartening to see a celebrity of Harris’ stature recognize and apologize for using the slur in such a timely manner, and for greater media attention being paid to its use,” GLADD said in a statement.