STR/AFP/Getty ImagesIt's already clear that Hilary Swank has suffered the consequences for attending the birthday bash for Chechnya's president Ramzan Kadyrov—what with axing her reps and getting dropped by her PR company—and the actress has already apologized for her actions, but there's more.
The 37-year-old actress explained the whole situation in Gotham magazine's recent issue (which also has Swank on the cover).
"In this case, a Turkish real estate company invited me to help promote peace by celebrating the rebuilding of a war-torn city and meeting people who were rebuilding their lives," she told the mag in an interview.
"That's how it was presented to me, and I thought, 'Absolutely, yes.' When I was there, I was asked to wish the president a happy birthday, and I did.
"Shame on me for not having researched the trip more fully, but I didn't know President Kadyrov's record. Human rights organizations had tried to warn me, but those warnings weren't shared with me. The things that have been written about me in the press are painful because they are totally contradictory to who I am. It's on me for having gone, and I regret it.
"Believe me, I'm never again accepting an invitation before making sure I have all the information I need."