Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said that he did have a couple of beers at a weekend street festival but said that “things are getting blown out of proportion.”
“Did I have a couple of beers? Absolutely, I had a couple of beers. But you know what, I had a good time, I think things are getting blown out of proportion,” Ford said during his weekly address on Newstalk 1010, according to CBC.
“I met a lot of people, took hundreds of pictures and if I offended anyone, you know what, I apologize,” he said.
“I had a good time and let my hair down a little bit,” said Ford, according to the National Post.
In one brief YouTube video, Ford said “let’s go party.”
Ford says he drove himself to the festival but after having a few beers he got driven home.
People had mixed reactions after photos and stories about Ford’s actions at the festival emerged.
At least one elected official, Coun. Jaye Robinson, said Ford should to take a leave of absence to “address his personal problems and then come back to continue to act as the mayor of Toronto,” following this situation and his earlier alleged use of crack cocaine.
Ford’s brother Doug Ford defended his actions.
“I went down there with Rob, I don’t know, it seemed alright,” Councillor Ford said. ”Rob’s an average guy. We go down to a festival, we have a couple of beers.”
He said media outlets are following them around too much.
“The media follows us like a horde of vultures,” he said. “The media has never had a beer in their hands,” he said sarcastically.
