Via Washington Examiner:

“Star Wars” creator George Lucas has compared Disney, which purchased his signature franchise for $4 billion, to “white slavers.”

Lucas made the comments during an interview with Charlie Rose that aired on Christmas, but is receiving attention a few weeks after the franchise’s newest installment, “The Force Awakens,” has taken the movie industry by storm.

“These are my kids,” Lucas said of the franchise. “I loved them, I created them. I’m very intimately involved with them.”

When pressed about why he sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, Lucas said, “I sold them to the white slavers that take these things and …” He trailed off laughing before completing the sentence.

Update: The Butthurt is strong in this one.

Via Business Insider:

George Lucas as issued a statement apologizing for essentially calling Disney, the new(ish) owner of his company LucasFilm and the “Star Wars” franchise, “white slavers.”

Lucas let the snide remark slip in a recent interview with Charlie Rose. Here’s the full statement, via The Wrap:

I want to clarify my interview on the Charlie Rose Show. It was for the Kennedy Center Honors and conducted prior to the premiere of the film. I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize.

I have been working with Disney for 40 years and chose them as the custodians of Star Wars because of my great respect for the company and Bob Iger’s leadership. Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise. I rarely go out with statements to clarify my feelings but I feel it is important to make it clear that I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions in film, television and the parks. Most of all I’m blown away with the record breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of JJ and Kathy.