Jonah Hill has stepped in it, big time, angering the gay community with use of an all-too-common slur.

A run in with an aggressive paparazzo led to the ugly incident. The cameraman told Hill that he liked his shorts and that they were "pretty sexy." The paps then said, "Have a good day," to which the 30-year-old "22 Jump Street" actor responded "Suck my d*ck, you faggot."

Words hurt. And the two-time Academy Award nominee went on "The Howard Stern Show" to clear things up. He publicly asked for forgiveness and elaborated on just why he said what he said.

"This is a heartbreaking situation for me," Hill told Howard Stern and his listeners.

"I'm upset because from the day I was born, and publicly, I've been a gay rights activist. Now, this person, you saw a 40-second video (courtesy of TMZ). This person had been following me around -- just to give it some context, not excusing what I said in any way -- this person had been following me around all day, had been saying hurtful things about my family, really hurtful things about me personally, and I played into exactly what he wanted and lost my cool," Hill said.

Hill also wanted to make it clear that he supports the gay community fully.

"In that moment, I said a disgusting word that does not at all reflect how I feel about any group of people. I grew up with gay family members. I'm leaving here to go spend the day with one of my closest co-workers and best friend who is gay, who's getting married, who I'm going to stand at his wedding. You know? I'm not at all defending my choice of words, but I am happy to be the poster boy for thinking about what you say and how those words, even if you don't intend them and how they mean, they are rooted in hate, and that's bullsh*t," Hill said. "I shouldn't have said that."

His apologetic statements seem like they're coming from the heart. After all, he does work with the Human Rights Campaign, one of the most notable gay rights advocacy groups.

"Now what I said in that moment was disgusting and a hurtful term. I should have either said nothing or just, 'F*ck you.' Instead I used a word that I don't use in my personal life," Hill said. "It's not part of my vernacular. I'm happy to take the heat for using this disgusting word. What I won't allow is for anyone -- it would break my heart for anyone to think, especially with all the work that I've done and all the loved ones that I have -- that I would be against anyone for their sexuality."

Apology accepted...?

Do you believe Hill is a bigot? Or do you think that he got flustered and lost his cool for a bit? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.