Film critic Armond White, who heckled 12 Years A Slave director Steve McQueen, has been kicked out of the New York Critics Circle.
During the club's award ceremony last Monday, White heckled McQueen, reportedly yelling, "You're an embarrassing doorman and garbage man...F--k you. Kiss my ass."
The Shame director didn't comment while accepting his award for Best Director from Harry Belafonte. NYFCC chair Joshua Rothkopf came forward an apologized for the rude behavior noting he was "mortified to learn that this was from one of our numbers."
Variety reports that NYFCC member Owen Gleiberman confirmed White was voted out of the club for his inappropriate behavior.
White, meanwhile, has denied that he made the comments, going to periodicals The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter to say everything is a lie and he didn't say anything. His comments aren't surprising as he has been critical of McQueen's movie since its release, calling 12 Years "torture porn."
According to the Los Angeles Times, White has been rude and disruptive before, such as during 2011 and 2012 awards ceremonies, where he heckled winners.
Gleiberman said, "White has the right to believe, and say in print, anything he wants, but disrupting a public event is a squalid form of acting out that has no defense."
image: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for BFI/image.net