6. Damien Hirst – 9/11 Blunder And Exposing Himself In Public
With possibly one of the most ill-judged remarks by an artist in recent times, following the 11 September attacks, Hirst told BBC News Online: “You’ve got to hand it to them on some level, because they’ve achieved something which nobody would have thought possible, especially to a country as big as America. So on one level they need congratulating, which a lot of people shy away from, which is a very dangerous thing.” On 18 September 2002, the YBA artist apologised “unreservedly” for his remarks. This is only one of many incidents that the chainsaw-wielding artist has become renowned for. Late-night drinkers at London’s Groucho Club would often startle their more shockable friends by describing Damien’s party trick involving his genitals and a 50 pence piece. The artist eventually fell foul of the law after exposing himself in a bar “This woman from Boston got upset and now she’s suing me for $50,000.” What precisely was she suing the artist for was the question, Hirst smiled. “Toxic shock.”