EXCLUSIVE

Judd Apatow meant no harm in his script for "This Is 40" when one of the characters jokingly plays a "murder game" with his kids. Judd tells us, he wrote the script 2 years ago, long before the Connecticut tragedy.

The scene in question involves the Albert Brooks' character, who is broke and looking for ways to save money. The character, Larry, prepares to spray his triplets with a hose and says, "Line up! Line up for murder! Come on! Who wants to be killed?"

One of the kids screams, "I do!" Larry responds, "Okay, we're eliminating one, we're cheaper already," and then Larry sprays the child.

The next kid says, "Murder me!" Larry responds, "Boom, dead. You're dead," adding, "All right, the kids are murdered. That will save us some money."

Judd tells us, the scene "is spoken by a sarcastic father kidding with his children. In light of recent events, I understand if some people might make an unfortunate association or put it in a context in which it was not intended."