  In this image released by Perez Hilton, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is shown with an injury beneath his eye, Monday, June 22, 2009, in Toronto.
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Homosexual celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has apologized for using an anti-gay slur during his confrontation with Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am over the weekend.
The gossip guru came under fire this week from leaders of gay rights organization The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), for the way he handled a row with the hip-hop star at an afterparty for the MuchMusic Awards in Toronto, Canada.
Hilton alleged he was left bleeding and in shock when will.i.am attacked him - the star responded by insisting there was no violence and accused Hilton of branding him a "f**got" as they argued outside a nightclub.
The Black Eyed Peas' manager Polo Molina later turned himself into Toronto authorities and was charged with assault.
Hilton's choice of words infuriated bosses at GLAAD, who called his comments "vulgar."
The blogger initially refused to apologize to the organization, but has now issued a statement reaching out to the gay community in regard to the incident.
He writes, "Words can hurt. I know that very well, from both sides of the fence. The other night in Toronto, after feeling physically threatened by a verbally abusive will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, I chose the most hurtful word I know to hurl at him. I was in an out-of-the ordinary situation and used a word that I would not utter under normal circumstances.
"I wanted to hurt him with the word I chose, not anyone else. Unfortunately, the one who got hurt was me and, subsequently, a lot of other people."
And Hilton goes on to admit he has been disgusted by the media reaction to the incident, and has vowed to take a more lenient approach when reporting celebrity news in the future.
He adds, "I have been extremely bothered by the reaction to my assault. Violence should never be condoned with such statements as 'It's Karma.' In fact, several television and radio shows over the past couple of days echoed the sentiment 'He had it coming'. Would they have said the same thing if I was a woman? Would I have 'deserved it' if I had been stabbed?
"I leave this traumatic experience as a person with more compassion. Specifically, there was an instance last year when actor Jesse Metcalfe was attacked outside of a Hollywood nightclub by a fellow entertainer. I did not condone the violence, but I did make light of that situation. I regret that. Sincerely."
