Former President George H.W. Bush is apologizing to an actress who claims he groped her during a private screening.
The incident allegedly took place in 2014.
Actress Heather Lind, who works on the AMC show "Turn Washington’s Spies," said the former president, now 93, grabbed her behind and told her a dirty joke right before a photo was taken.
Lind detailed the entire incident in a now-deleted Instagram post.
She claims former first lady Barbara Bush saw the whole thing and just rolled her eyes.
Bush's spokesman, Jim McGrath, issued an apology in a statement to People Wednesday morning.
“President Bush would never – under any circumstance – intentionally cause anyone distress, and he most sincerely apologizes if his attempt at humor offended Ms. Lind,” the statement said.
By late Tuesday, Bush’s office issued another statement.
“At age 93, President Bush has been confined to a wheelchair for roughly five years, so his arm falls on the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures,” the statement said. “To try to put people at ease, the president routinely tells the same joke -- and on occasion, he has patted women’s rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner. Some have seen it as innocent; others clearly view it as inappropriate. To anyone he has offended, Pres. Bush apologizes most sincerely.”
The Cox Media Group National Content Desk contributed to this report.
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