"Was a joke, but": Perez Hilton reacts to controversial clip of Anthony Anderson telling 17-year-old Lindsay Lohan he liked "them young"

Perez Hilton recently reacted to an old video of Anthony Anderson’s interview with Lindsay Lohan. According to Variety, the conversation took place back in 2003. The clip has sparked criticism of Anderson for the language he used throughout the interview with Lohan.

In a post shared on his official X handle on August 11, 2025, Perez Hilton included a link to a new article on his website about the interview and wrote along with it:

“It was a joke, but.”

In his article, Hilton noted that Lindsay Lohan appeared on The Sharon Osbourne Show on December 16, 2003, to promote the fantasy comedy Freaky Friday. However, on that particular episode, Anthony Anderson was hosting instead of Sharon Osbourne.

Hilton's post (Image via X/ThePerezHilton)

Hilton highlighted that the suggestive language Anderson used in the interview made headlines, given that Lindsay was 17 and Anthony was 33 at the time. The blogger and columnist referred to the words used by Anthony, as he stated:

“Anthony went on to tell Lindsay that he and his kids loved watching her in The Parent Trap. She appreciated the compliment, thanking him. The sweet moment became extremely uncomfortable again, though, because the Law & Order star put his hand on her knee and told her: “You’ve grown up a whole lot since then.””

During the interview, Lohan confirmed she was not in a relationship. Anthony Anderson then remarked that Lindsay was single and searching for someone. Lindsay also addressed those older than her, saying she was “illegal” for those people. Anthony then reacted by saying:

“Well, you know, some men like them young. We ain’t gonna mention no names, but, you know, I’m one of them.”

Perez Hilton called out the entire moment in his article, writing:

“Sorry, what?! Who says any of this to a teenager? How gross!”

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Anthony Anderson responds to the criticism: Viral video and spokesperson statement explained

As mentioned, the actor and comedian’s interview with Lindsay Lohan faced criticism across different platforms. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the duo also discussed Lohan's childhood and the film Mean Girls, which was scheduled to arrive in theaters at the time.

Notably, Freak Friday was being released on DVD when Lohan appeared for the interview with Anthony Anderson. As per Variety, Lindsay revealed during the interview that she had moved in with Raven-Symone, an actress and her close friend. Anderson told Lohan at the time:

“Both of you are beautiful women. Both of you are young and have your individual styles. What gentlemen will be at the new pad with you and Raven-Symone?”

While the interview was about to end, Anthony also put his arms around Lohan and said:

“Right now, we’re about to get freak on.”

While criticism of Anthony continued, Entertainment Weekly acquired a statement from his spokesperson on July 25, 2025. The emailed statement read that the entire conversation was “intended as comedy.” The spokesperson added:

“He regrets if the humor was in poor taste and maintains the utmost respect for Lindsay. Any implication to the contrary is both inaccurate and potentially defamatory.”

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Meanwhile, Lindsay Lohan has not publicly commented on the viral video. Anthony Anderson has also yet to respond to the article Perez Hilton shared on his self-titled website.