A rep for Michael Douglas is clearing up comments that were published in the UK’s The Guardian on Monday regarding the actor saying he got throat cancer from oral sex.
Douglas sat down for an interview with The Guardian to promote his HBO film Behind the Candelabra when he made the supposed comments.
The publication quoted Douglas as saying that he did not regret smoking and drinking for years ahead of his diagnosis. “No,” he said. “No. Because, without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus.”
But The Associated Press now reports that his rep says the comments were taken out of context.
His spokesman, Allen Burry, said Douglas never said during the interview that HPV caused his type of cancer, just that it can cause other types of throat cancers. Smoking and drinking are thought to be the major causes of throat cancer.
image: NBC