Actor Johnny Depp has apologized for alluding to the assassination of US President Donald Trump at a festival in England.

“It did not come out as intended, and I intended no malice. I was only trying to amuse, not to harm anyone,” Depp told People Magazine Friday.

Depp received widespread backlash after commenting that it had been a while since an actor had assassinated a president.

“When was the last time an actor assassinated a President?” Depp asked Thursday in Glastonbury in an apparent nod to Abraham Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth.

“I want to qualify, I am not an actor. I lie for a living,” the actor added. “However, it has been a while and maybe it is time.”

On Friday the White House issued a statement condemning Depp’s comments and asked his colleagues to speak out against violent rhetoric.

“President Trump has condemned violence in all forms and it’s sad that others like Johnny Depp have not followed his lead. I hope that some of Mr. Depp’s colleagues will speak out against this type of rhetoric as strongly as they would if this was directed towards a democrat elected official,” a representative from the White House wrote.

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