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 responded to comments from 2002, offering explanations and expressing regret for any harm caused by those remarks. He acknowledged the pain his words had inflicted on others and stated that he was sharing a friend's personal story when making them in 2002.