Bill Murray defends himself amid 'Being Mortal' allegations

Bill Murray is speaking out about the controversy surrounding the cancelled film Being Mortal, which was halted due to a complaint filed against him. 

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Murray explained that the incident involved a masked kiss with a crew member, which he "thought was funny."

"I was wearing a mask, and I gave her a kiss, and she was wearing a mask," he said. "It wasn’t like I touched her, but it was just, I gave her a kiss through a mask. And she wasn’t a stranger." 

He emphasized that the incident occurred with someone he worked with and had lunch with on various days.

While he isn't sure what prompted his actions, Murray defended himself, saying, "I thought it was funny, and every time it happened, it was funny." He added, "It was a great disappointment, because I thought I knew someone, and I did not."

The film's production was suspended, and Murray attributes the cancellation to the backing from Searchlight Films, a Disney-owned production company. 

"It still bothers me because that movie was stopped by the human rights or ‘H&R’ of the Disney corporation," he said.

Murray described the arbitration process that followed, saying, "We went to this lunatic arbitration... If anyone ever suggests you go to arbitration: Don’t do it. Never ever do it. Because you think it’s justice, and it isn’t."