Robert Downey Jr. Has Issues With ‘Syphilitic Parasite’, Talks To Howard Stern

For the first time since he walked out on British journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. opened up about how he was “scrutinized like a kiddie-fiddler who’s running for mayor.” Guru-Murthy certainly hit a nerve and, in a recent interview with Howard Stern, Downey didn’t hesitate to voice out his concerns regarding the Channel 4 News reporter.

Last week, the actor agreed spoke to Guru-Murthy in an interview to promote his new film Avengers: Age of Ultron. Instead of talking about the movie, Guru-Murthy started asking questions about Downey’s personal life, particularly his past. The journalist brought up a previous interview where Downey said it was impossible to leave prison and remain a liberal.

The off-topic question clearly disgruntled the actor as he responded, “Are we promoting a movie?” But Guru-Murthy didn’t stop there. He followed up his previous query by asking about the actor’s past with drugs and his relationship with his father. Downey refused to answer and simply walked out of the interview.

During his latest interview with Stern, Downey explained why he walked out. He said that he did not believe that promoting a film should involve his past.

“There’s an assumption that… because you’ve sat down there in [in the interview], you’re going to be scrutinized like a kiddie fiddler who’s running for mayor,” the actor asserted.

Recognizing that he cannot undo his walk out, the actor added that the only thing he can do is to be more careful about his future interviews. He told Stern, “What I have to do in the future is … give myself permission to say, ‘That is more than likely a syphilitic parasite, and I need to distance myself from this clown.’ ”

Downey also pointed out that Guru-Murthy’s questions were completely inappropriate because they were promoting a family-friendly film. He is aware that most of the movie’s fans are comprised of children who shouldn’t be exposed to themes that the journalist wanted to discuss.

Talking with Stern, the actor also opened up about some aspects of his personal life, including his $2 million birthday celebration, why he dropped out of Gravity, and his reconnection with ex Sarah Jessica Parker. He also revealed that despite the extravagant party that he threw for himself, he still asks his wife for permission whenever he is about to spend more than $500.

[Image by Raymond Hall, Getty Images]