Famed music producer Quincy Jones has issued a public apology for claims he made in his bombshell interviews with Vulture magazine and GQ.

The 85-year-old star stunned fans and raised more than a few eyebrows when he said, among other things, that he has 21 girlfriends, knew who really killed John F Kennedy, branded Michel Jackson a thief, and stated that Marlon Brando had enjoyed a gay fling with comedy legend Richard Pryor.

On Thursday (22 February) Jones revealed that he had come to his senses and “learned my lesson” following an intervention from his daughters.

“I tried to relay about racism, inequality, homophobia… you name it,” he explained. “I have already reached out to my friends privately, but when you live a public life, you have a responsibility to be an example, and since I do lead a public life, I wanted to make a public apology.”

He continued: “When you’ve been fortunate enough to have lived such a long & crazy life (& you’ve recently stopped drinking- three years ago!), certain details about specific events (which do NOT paint the full picture of my intentions nor experiences) come flooding back all at once, and even at 85, it’s apparent that “word vomit” and bad-mouthing is inexcusable.”

Jones concluded by thanking his family for encouraging him to acknowledge and apologise for his recent claims.

“To my dear family and friends… thank you for your grace. Thank you for calling me out when I’ve clearly made a mistake… many mistakes. Even though sometimes it’s difficult to receive criticism or discipline, (especially publicly), I want you to know I hear you.”

In his candid sit down with Vulture, he prompted questions about The Godfather star Brando’s sexuality 14 years after his death.

“Brando used to go cha-cha dancing with us, he could dance his ass off, “Jones told the publication. “[Brando] was the most charming motherf****r you ever met. He’d f**k anything. Anything! He’d f**k a mailbox. James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye … He did not give a f**k!”

Pryor’s widow Jennifer Lee — who was married to legendary stand-up star from 1981 to 1982 and again from 2001 until his death in 2005 — later appeared to corroborate the claim, saying that drugs made her late husband capable of almost anything. But Brando’s son Miko slammed the comments as “wrongful”.

Jones also took aim at late pop star Michael Jackson, stating that he stole the inspiration for many of his biggest hits from other artists.

To drive home his point, he compared State of Independence, a 1982 song Jones produced for the singer Donna Summer, with Jackson’s hit Billie Jean saying the “notes don’t lie, man. He was as Machiavellian as they come.”

Jones, who sued the Jackson Estate for $10m (£7.2m) in 2014 for cutting him out of potential future royalties, also called the Thriller hitmaker a “greedy man”.

Jones also said that Jackson’s claim the he suffered from vitiligo, causing his skin pigment to change, was “bulls**t” and that he just had a problem with his looks because his father told him he was ugly and abused him.