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From CNN:

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman apologized Thursday for his much-criticized outburst about an American citizen imprisoned in North Korea, saying he was stressed out and had been drinking when he made the remarks on CNN.

The family of that imprisoned American, Kenneth Bae, said Thursday that they accepted Rodman’s apology for his “outrageous” remarks but said they hope his comments “have not further endangered” Bae.

The eccentric basketball veteran is in North Korea for a controversial visit that has been rife with bizarre moments, including Rodman’s rendition of “Happy Birthday” to the country’s leader Kim Jong Un at a packed sports stadium on Wednesday.

“I want to first apologize to Kenneth Bae’s family,” Rodman, 52, said Thursday in a statement released by his publicist Jules Feiler. “I want to apologize to my teammates and my management team. I also want to apologize to Chris Cuomo.”

Bae’s family had said they were shocked by Rodman’s comments about the captive American.

“I embarrassed a lot of people,” said Rodman, who traveled to North Korea with other former NBA players for a basketball game against a North Korean team. “I’m very sorry. At this point I should know better than to make political statements. I’m truly sorry.”

He said the day of the interview had been “very stressful.”

“Some of my teammates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates,” he said, adding that his dream of “basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart.”

“I had been drinking,” he said. “It’s not an excuse but by the time the interview happened, I was upset. I was overwhelmed.”

The NBA and the U.S. government have said they have nothing to do with Rodman’s visit to North Korea, his fourth in less than a year. The Irish online betting company that had backed the trip withdrew its name from the venture last month after North Korea announced that Kim’s once powerful uncle had been purged from his top government posts and executed.

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