Jeremy Clarkson and the BBC got sued for £100,000, or roughly $140,000, in the wake of his punching of Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon. The parties just settled the case, and not only is Tymon reported to be getting even more than that (congrats), he also got a rather kind apology from Clarkson.
The lawsuit was complicated not just by Clarkson’s wayward fists and Tymon’s unfortunate face location, but also by the accusation that Clarkson had called Tymon a “lazy Irish cunt,” which made it A Whole Other Thing.
Perhaps reflecting the complexity of the case, or more likely, the tenacity of Tymon’s lawyers, the BBC reports that Tymon’s team is actually walking away with a little more than what he asked for:
Mr Tymon’s lawyers said the case had been settled but did not give details of the settlement.
It is understood to be in excess of £100,000 ($140,000), an amount to which both Clarkson and the BBC contributed.
But in a more human sense, Clarkson’s apology to Tymon was unusually compassionate for the man usually known for his sharp critiques:
“I would like to say sorry, once again, to Oisin Tymon for the incident and its regrettable aftermath,” Clarkson said.
The presenter was dropped by the BBC following the assault.
Clarkson, 55, added: “I want to reiterate that none of this was in any way his fault.
“I would also like to make it clear that the abuse he has suffered since the incident is unwarranted and I am sorry too that he has had to go through that.
“I am pleased that this matter is now resolved. Oisin was always a creatively exciting part of Top Gear and I wish him every success with his future projects.”
Maybe we can all finally move on from this dumb stupid hell, and we can just get back to writing about other dumb stupid things instead.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Contact the author at ballaban@jalopnik.com.
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