Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert set off a firestorm of controversy yesterday with a single Tweet about Ryan Dunn, the Jackass star who perished in a car accident early Monday.

"Friends don't let jackasses drink and drive." That's all Ebert wrote, but the timing and word choice upset many, including Dunn's best friend Bam Margera.

Ebert's Facebook page has since been disabled and the film critic has been widely criticized by many on Twitter. In a new blog post, he explains the Tweet:

"To begin with, I offer my sympathy to Ryan Dunn's family and friends, and to those of Zachary Hartwell, who also died in the crash," Ebert writes.

"I mean that sincerely. It is tragic to lose a loved one. I regret that my tweet about the event was considered cruel. It was not intended as cruel."

"It was intended as true. I meant exactly what I wrote. I wasn't calling Ryan Dunn a jackass. I was referring to his association with Jackass. I thought that was clear."

"Note that Bam Margera uses the word 'jackass' in the same way in his tweet."

Ebert goes on to further explain the context of what he said:

Jackass star Bam Margera lost his friend and co-star, Ryan Dunn, in a car accident early yesterday. He's understandably very upset about this.

It's equally unsurprising that he is livid with Roger Ebert's Tweet about Dunn, in which he wrote "friends don't let jackasses drink and drive."

Bam proceeded to tear the the movie critic a new one on Twitter:

Ebert was, for reasons unknown, chiming in about Dunn's alleged drinking just hours before he got behind the wheel and perished Monday morning.

It's unclear how drunk Dunn was, but he was seen drinking at a Philly-area bar before his fatal crash, and was there for over three and a half hours.

In any case, Bam's not happy and is letting him have it. Did Roger go too far, too soon, considering the man just died? Does he raise a valid point?

What do you think about Ebert's Tweet?

Jackass star Ryan Dunn died earlier today and already, film critic Roger Ebert took him to task over reports that he drank before getting behind the wheel.

Dunn's drinking buddy claims Ryan had at least three beers and three "girly shots" before hitting the road. He was driving when he crashed and passed away.

Ebert, of all people, had this to say this afternoon:

Sources say Ryan Dunn spent four hours in Barnaby's of America in West Chester, Pa., before he got behind the wheel of his Porsche this morning.

One of his friends says Dunn had three beers and three shots between 10:30 p.m. and 2:10 a.m., but he was "not too drunk to drive."

However, according to another person who was inside the bar that night, Dunn was "wasted" and "had a lot to drink."

Either way, what's your take on Ebert's Tweet?