Contacted in 2015 about the 2002 comments, Simpson provided clarifying remarks, saying "I understand that there are people who have been hurt by (these comments and) their reporting and that deeply saddens me. When I made those comments in 2002 I was sharing a friend’s personal story.
In 2015, Simpson addressed comments made in 2002, expressing remorse for any hurt caused by those remarks. He explained that his statements were based on a friend's personal experience and acknowledged the pain they had inflicted.