A 22-year-old interview has come back to haunt Emmy-nominated actor Anthony Anderson, as a clip from a 2003 red carpet resurfaced this week — and it’s sparking outrage, disbelief, and a massive public backlash.

The clip shows Anderson joking with then-teen star Lindsay Lohan, telling her bluntly:

“You know I always liked them young.”

At the time, Lindsay was just 17 years old.

The internet has not taken it lightly — and now, after two days of mounting pressure, Anderson has finally broken his silence.

 The Clip That Sparked A Firestorm

The footage, originally from a 2003 MTV Movie Awards red carpet special, was quietly uploaded to a retro pop culture YouTube channel last week. It only took a few hours for the moment to go viral on TikTok and Twitter (now X).

In the clip, Anderson, then 32 and starring in Barbershop, approaches Lindsay, fresh off the success of Freaky Friday. After greeting her, he makes a comment that many now consider disturbingly inappropriate:

“You know I always liked them young, Lindsay. You just keep getting prettier.”

Lohan, appearing slightly uncomfortable, laughs nervously before turning away.

The moment went largely unnoticed in 2003 — but in 2025, the cultural context has changed dramatically.

 Social Media EXPLODES

Once the clip hit the algorithm, the response was immediate and furious.

@PopCultureJustice: “This is NOT okay. Anthony Anderson needs to explain this — immediately.”
@FeministFilmCritic: “How many of these red carpet creeper moments did we excuse in the early 2000s? Lindsay deserved better.”
@LohanArmy: “Imagine being a teenage girl in Hollywood and THIS is how grown men talk to you, on camera. Gross.”

By Wednesday morning, the clip had been viewed over 18 million times and was trending under #AndersonBacklash and #JusticeForLindsay.

 Anderson Responds: “It Was a Joke… a Bad One.”

After 48 hours of public silence and mounting pressure from fans, critics, and even former co-stars, Anthony Anderson released a statement via Instagram Stories:

“I’ve seen the clip from 2003 that’s circulating, and I want to address it directly. What I said to Lindsay was meant as a joke — but looking at it now, it was a bad one. A really bad one. I was wrong. Full stop.”

“I apologize to Lindsay Lohan — and to anyone else who was made uncomfortable by what I said. There’s no excuse. We’ve all learned a lot since then, and I’m learning too.”

While some praised the apology as honest and direct, others felt it was too little, too late.

 The Industry Reacts: “That Wasn’t a Joke. That Was Grooming Culture.”

Hollywood insiders and celebrities are now weighing in — and not everyone is buying the “just a joke” defense.

Actress and former teen star Alexa Nikolas, best known from Zoey 101, spoke out on Instagram Live:

“We grew up in an industry where grown men ‘joking’ about liking young girls was just… normal. It wasn’t okay then, and it’s not okay now. It’s time we stop excusing it as comedy.”

Entertainment journalist Nia Vaughn called the moment “textbook grooming culture being masked as humor” in her viral essay titled: “Hollywood’s Dirty Joke Problem”.

 Lindsay Lohan’s Team Breaks Silence

As speculation mounted, many wondered whether Lindsay Lohan — now 39, a mother, and recently returned to acting — would respond herself.

So far, Lohan has not made a public statement, but a source close to her spoke exclusively to The Daily Edge:

“Lindsay is aware of the video. She’s not shocked — that kind of thing happened all the time. But she’s focused on her family and career now and doesn’t want to be dragged into a media circus.”

Still, fans are calling for her to reclaim the moment on her terms, with #WeSupportLindsay trending throughout Thursday.

 A Disturbing Pattern?

This isn’t the first time Anthony Anderson has come under fire for inappropriate behavior.

Back in 2018, he faced an LAPD investigation over sexual assault allegations, which were ultimately dropped due to insufficient evidence. Still, many critics say there’s a pattern of boundary-crossing behavior that’s been overlooked for too long.

A resurfaced 2006 interview with Access Hollywood also shows Anderson joking about “not being able to tell who’s 18 in Hollywood” — comments that didn’t raise eyebrows at the time but are now being re-evaluated in a post-#MeToo world.

 What Happens Now?

While there are no legal implications tied to the 2003 comment, the reputational fallout could be significant.

Anderson is currently slated to host an upcoming season of a Netflix-produced trivia show, The Big Game. Insiders say the streaming giant is now in “urgent internal meetings” to assess next steps.

A Change.org petition demanding Netflix “cut ties with Anderson until he is held accountable” has already gained over 140,000 signatures.

“This isn’t about cancel culture,” the petition reads. “It’s about accountability and respect for women — especially the ones who were once teenage girls being objectified by grown men on national television.”

 Fans Divided

While many are condemning Anderson’s comments and calling for consequences, a vocal minority are defending him:

@TeamAnderson: “22 years ago. One sentence. He apologized. Move on.”
@ComedyIsDead: “Y’all really going after every joke from the early 2000s? Nobody’s safe anymore.”

But critics argue that this isn’t just about a single sentence — it’s about a culture that allowed it to thrive.

 The Bigger Conversation

As more resurfaced clips from the 2000s emerge — featuring questionable behavior from multiple A-list celebrities — this latest scandal has once again reignited a deeper cultural reckoning.

How many stars got away with it? How many teenage girls were forced to smile through uncomfortable interviews, thinking that’s just “how it is”?

And now that we know better… what do we do about it?

 FINAL WORD: This Isn’t Over

Anthony Anderson may have apologized, but the internet — and the public — aren’t done talking.

With pressure mounting and more clips being uncovered daily, one thing is clear: the ghosts of early 2000s Hollywood are coming back with a vengeance.

And this time, the world is actually listening.