An actor who is in Vancouver for a film shoot says a social media post criticizing the city was meant as sarcasm.
Dominic Purcell took to Instagram on Friday to defend himself after receiving hundreds of complaints for comparing part of the city to a Soviet-era forced labour camp.
The "Prison Break" star has been in the city for months filming a nine-episode revival of the series, but suggested that spending time in Vancouver is the real jail sentence.
Last week, the 46-year-old posted a photo of himself in a Vancouver hotel complaining about the rain.
"People say we had 3 days of #sunshine like #santa just arrived," he wrote in a post called "Vancouvers Gulag."
"Not only does Vancouver have a leaking cloud problem they have a homeless population problem that roam the streets in desperate need for help."
His post called out local leaders for "turning a blind eye" to the city's mentally ill and homeless, and wrote that there's more to Vancouver than scenic views.
He ended the post with: "Can't wait to read the hate comments I get. Haha."
Within a week, the post had racked up 20,400 likes and more than 900 comments. One commenter, a former "Prison Break" co-star, suggested he get involved in a performing arts program for kids living in the eastside and Strathcona.
On Friday, Purcell posted a blurry photo of the City of Vancouver logo, with a "#apology" to the people he offended.
"I actually think #Vancouver is a #beautiful city. I was being very #sarcastic and unless you know me it would appear in a very different light," he wrote in the hashtag-filled post.
He said that his "acerbic sense of humour has always raised an eye brow," and that he was trying to get the point across that more needs to be done for the homeless and mentally ill in all cities.
"What I do see is a blind eye to the homeless and a big eye to construction serving foreign investment groups," he wrote.
He ended the post by asking those sending him hate mail, which he said "actually makes me laugh," to instead use the opportunity to bring about change.
"We don't need people hiding behind a key board using horrific language and threats unfortunately a common sad fact in this age of #cyberbullying," he wrote.
As of Friday afternoon, the post had more than 3,000 likes and 176 comments.
