William Shatner Rails Against George Takei

William Shatner is positively bitchy in a video that finds him attacking George Takei, questioning his former Star Trek castmate's mental state and saying he feels nothing but pity for him. The Klingons were never even this brutal. It's crazy!

As everyone knows, Takei isn't a big fan of Shatner's. In fact, when the openly gay Takei, who played Mr. Sulu on Star Trek, got hitched to his longtime partner Brad Altman last month, it was reported that he made it a point to let the world know that Captain Kirk wouldn't be beaming in for the ceremony because he wasn't invited. Oh, but Takei did make sure to invite the rest of the Star Trek gang, including Mr. Spock.

Apparently, the diss got to Shatner, who made and posted a video on his site TheShatnerProject.com and YouTube in which an unidentified woman interviews him about the rift between him and Takei, and Shatner goes off.

When asked how he felt about Takei making a point of not inviting him to his wedding, Shatner responds, "The whole thing makes me feel badly. Poor man. There is such a sickness there. It's so painfully obvious that there is a psychosis there."

Shatner claims he has no idea why Takei dislikes him. "I don't know what the original thing was. I have no idea. I didn't read his book that was printed many years ago, but, apparently, I didn't let somebody have a closeup," Shatner cracks.

As much as he'd like to act like he is above the fray, Shatner can't resist making a dig at Takei for waiting so many years to come out. "Talk about festering and not living the truth of your life and feeling badly about yourself and being fearful that somebody would find out this terrible, terrible secret—so he thought," Shatner says. "Finally, at the age of, I think, 70, he decides to come out of the closet and say, 'I'm gay.' Like who cares? Be gay. Don't be gay. That's up to you, George."

For my part, I think it is time for these two old dudes kiss and make up. Wasn't Star Trek on TV like 80 years ago? Isn't it time to let bygones be bygones?

They appeared to be building a bridge a few years back when Takei actually took part in Comedy Central's Roast of William Shatner, describing Shatner as a rich, goey Devil's Food cake that he wanted to drop his face into.

But, clearly, someone left that cake out in the rain.

If you haven't seen Shatner's rant against Takei, here it is. Check it out, and share your response. We must discuss!

(Images courtesy of Getty)

This just in: As if this situation isn't ridiculous enough, there is a new twist in the Shatner vs. Takei drama. Takei has issued a statement claiming that he did invite Shatner to his wedding. It reads: "It is unfortunate that Bill was unable to join us for our wedding as he indeed was invited to attend. It is our hope that at this point he joins us in voting NO on Proposition 8, which seeks to eliminate the fundamental right for same-sex couples to marry in California."

Takei's statement was released through the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which explains in a press release that Shatner was invited to Takei's wedding through his manager Larry Thompson when invitations were sent out in July, noting that Takei confirmed the invite in an interview with the TV Guide Channel's Watercooler show.

GLAAD also cites a story published by the Associated Press in September in which Takei confirms that Shatner was invited but had not RSVPd.

Not to take Shatner's side, but he is clearly under the impression that he wasn't invited, and maybe he didn't get the invitation. Who knows? It could have gotten lost in the mail.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but my friend T is, and he says he wouldn't be surprised if Shatner and Takei are in cahoots, fanning the flames for publicity. All the petty tit for tat is starting to feel contrived. What do you think?

Comments

[Harley-Daddy]

I can see how Mr. Takei's behavior would be seriously distrubing to Mr. Shatner. After all, Mr. Takei has NOT been married four or five times... Takei demonstrates the qualities of faithfulness and fidelity... this is all so threatening to some straight men!

How dare he try to impose his lifestyle standards on Mr Shatner!

[centxgi]

I watched the clip..thanks for providing..

Because I wasn't there when all this occurred, and all of us are just "by-standers".. from what I saw and know from human nature..there are just bruised feelings, misunderstandings and both need to apologize to each other. I think deep down they both have respect for each other, but just never had the courage to say it. Kind of sad, but very "human". Bottom line, I don't think William Shatner was wrong with what he said. I honestly believe he would have enjoyed going to Mr. Taakei's wedding.

[Stevezatt]

Why do people keep calling Leonard Nimoy"s character in Star Trek Dr Spock? Dr Spock is A baby doctor!! Leonard Nimoy's character is MR SPOCK!!!!If you find it necessary to make comments,GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT!!!!MR SPOCK NOT DR SPOCK."GREASE ME UP SCOTTY!"

[TOM]

Who cares, with everything else going on in the world! People dying of AID, people with no meds, people loosing their homes, Not beable to feed there familsy, not able to heat their homes! Why don't we all spend some time helping someone.

[Master Terra D]

Rant? That's not a rant; it's not even close. Buy a freaking dictionary!
What it is, is the very essence of Shatner. Why respond to nothing? Why bother to bring in a film crew (the production quality says "yes, he did...") when you haven't been asked anything? Did he not see the quote about wanting to be the center on attention, that he used on his OWN mini-film? Esperanza, Bill.
By the way, a RANT includes talking incoherently or loudly or rudely, or a combination of all three. This is not a rant. Again, buy a dictionary!

[queerplanet]

Who cares? Who cares if this television actor came out of the closet?

Who cares what Mr. Shatner thinks about it?

Endless war for oil, environmental disaster, and end to civil rights, and you care what an actor on television has to say about sucking dick?

[Green guy]

I like George Takei and everythign but to be honest -- I think Shatner's dead on about this. I mean, they worked together 40 years ago. With all due respect to George -- who I love and listen to all the time on the Howard Stern show -- he seems to try to get publicity all the time by "stirring up the pot" with Shatner.

Sorry -- just becasue George is gay doesn't mean i am automatically going to take his side.

[Brett]

Honestly it has been 16 years since the last movie, Apparently Bill Shatner has a chemistry with the camera that George doesnt. Bill is one of my favorites. How many series has he had? 3 or 4? George? 1? I agree with william shatner in this regard, give it a rest george and if he did something wrong forgive and let bygons be bygons. And if memory serves the show wasnt about George, I believe the big stars of Star Trek was Kirk, Spock, Bones and Scotty. The other three, was just filler. I think George should be on Boston Legal. As an aging gay lawyer who cant seem to win a case and goes up against Denny Crane and loses, how'd that be for a nail in the coffin.

[andy]

Reminds me of my mother's advice when I was a child .... "If you can't say something nice - keep your mouth shut!" Seems appropriate here!

[derek g.]

I think it's really silly of both of them to air this stuff in public. I love Bill Shatner, regardless, but that doesn't mean I'd take his side in anything. But it does seem petty that GT would have a beef about the STAR of the show taking a close-up, even if he wasn't speaking at the time... it's a dramatic effect, showing the reaction on someone's face to what's being said, that can convey more for the story than watching the person talk.. it happens all the time. GT has been acting bitterly towards what he perceives as WS's "hogging the limelight" for years now... get over it. WS was the captain, the first billed, and was way more responsible for the longevity of Star Trek than GT could ever have hoped to be.

I call it Jealousy.

Still, I think it was in slightly poor taste to post a video like this, and then ask the people who subscribe to your channel (I'm myspace buds with WS) to pass it along to those who might care. Because really, it's nobody's business but WS and GT's.

My 2 cents.

[Greg]

George - get over it!

If you had not come out of the closet a few years back with the media attention - no one would even remember your real name.

Shatner was the star of the series, movies, etc. - you were a filler.

Grow up and get over it...

[StickyAznRabbit]

Bottom line. Anyone can invite anyone they wish to their wedding.

While it's true that one should forgive another...especially for behavior that's years long past, one doesn't have to ever like them.

If I forgave someone (who never was my friend but just a coworker) and I still don't like them, why the hell would I invite them to my wedding? Why? Why? Why?

[topperformer]

Well, you know, maybe Mr.Shatner/AKA Denny Crane has Mad Cow and doesn't remember getting the invitation.

[gidderguy]

What's everyone arguin' 'bout?

[Mike B]

Here's a good tidbit...years ago i went to the same gym william shatner and I use to shower on the days I had to workout in the mornings before I went to work, and once in while I saw Bill naked and I shit you not the guys had a thick 8" cock soft...i would be scared to think what its like hard...maybe that scares george as well. :)

[niceguy]

Mr. Shatner's comments regarding the mental status/psychosis of Mr. Takei are right on it seems to me. He has always seemd a bit off, but then most of the actors on ST acted like big babies at one time or another.

[robert]

they dont call him the big giant head for nothign.

[Rndmacts]

Funny I saw an interview with GT before the big wedding and he was quite definite in his statement that WS was not invited. GT has become a bit of a wingbat lately and is only seaking publicity to prop up a career that died 15 years ago. GLAAD should not have got involved because he certainly did make those statements.

[Arthur]

poor shatner needs to get over himself.

[corrective_unconscious]

It is patently obvious that George Takai and his newly official husband must have planned their honeymoon using expedia dot com.

[Wes]

Shatner is right, there is something wrong with somebody who would focus on a lame personality conflict 40 years later instead of all the joy that love should bring to a wedding. I think jealous George was simply trying to attract mainstream media attention for what should otherwise have been a private joy between him and his husband.

[Tim]

I dunno, this sounds like typical Shatner.. ego to the extreme. OBVIOUSLY its all George's fault, and its poor, poor Shatner who's bearing the completely unwarranted burden of Takei's temper. Seriously, Shatner is completely playing to the camera, and setting himself up as the victim. For god's sake, the man wrote his own novel, writing himself back into the Trek universe after they (quite respectably) killed him off, and even at one point set himself up as the ONLY person who could possibly save the NextGen cast. His ego is well known, and this looks to be yet another rung on the ladder. Honestly, nobody knows what may or may not have gone on behind the scenes all those years ago. Maybe it is a petty feud, maybe not. At some point though, you sometimes just have to say "enough is enough" to some poeple, and cut them loose from your life. In addition, we're only getting ONE side of things here, the side Shatner wants you to hear.

[mike]

Who cares !!!

[bart]

Who's right? WHO CARES?!?

[Dave]

What the hell is the issue here? Someones works with someone else years ago and now they have to invite them to his wedding? If thats the case then you will probarly be reading about me in the next year because I no intention of inviting all my past collegues to my wedding. I have also seen enough interviws with Shatner to know he comes off as an ego, tyrant jerk and probarly is in real life. Who else would post a video clip like that of himself? Maybe he is just upset cause Takei didnt make an advance on him, cause everyone should love him and bow to him, right? Or maybe Takei just didn't like him as a friend or person, I know I don't.

[giovanni]

George is a solid person, upstanding citizen. I love when he is the guest announcer (4 times/year) on the Howard Stern Show. The interview that shatner did, he should have refused to do, as by doing it, only shows that he must be in the limelight at all costs, even if its talking disparaging about someone else. Its 4th grade antics. Such a shame.

[haidawolf]

. . . and we all played into the drama. Those two are brilliant!

[Jolie]

I think a lot of Shatner's video is done tongue-in-cheek, poking as much fun at himself as at George Takei. He's made a business of that, in case you haven't noticed. I don't think he takes himself too seriously and this video was probably as much an amusement to him as a response to the Takei's allegedly publicly mentioning Shatner was the one ST coworker NOT invited to the wedding. The annoyance, whether real or contrived, is with Takei making an issue of not inviting him to the wedding. I don't think it is because he didn't get to go to the wedding, although I'm sure he would have made the most of the opportunity to try to be the center of attention if he did get to go.

It's all silly and I don't think Shatner is taking it all too seriously, either. Takei, I'm not so sure.

The media doesn't help by the way it's reporting/distorting it, either.

[corrective_unconscious]

>Who cares? Who cares if this television actor came out of the closet? Who cares what Mr. Shatner thinks about it? Endless war for oil, environmental disaster....

The hissy fit between Takai and Shatner is important to monitor since it will be resolved before the Israeli-Palestinain issue will be. Therefore, it's an indicator.

[corrective_unconscious]

"Arab" would have been easer fer me ta spel, and maibie moor acurrrate.

[jakeintuc]

I'm a big fan of both and don't really care about this, but would like to point out that they did work together much less than "Forty years ago", as people keep saying. "The Undiscovered Country" was released in 1990 or 1991. And though I'm sure they didn't all record their voices together, there was a "Futurama" ep where the original cast (mostly) of Star Trek voiced their Trek characters. It was pretty cool.

[Andrew]

They both need to grow up, each for different reasons. And apparently some people on here need to review simple spelling and grammar rules. Phew!

[prettiboi23]

I agree with kirk, let the past be the past and move on. He makes gay guys look bitchy, shallow, and sort of mean. Kirk came off

[Jim]

William Shattner was always egotistical thoughout the Star Treck series.

[Daniel]

I had nothing better to do tonight so I clicked on this story and read it and all the comments. Boy, I need to get a life! My concise response however:
a. Takei can invite who he wants to his wedding
b. Takei should not make any comments about who he did not invite
c. Shatner can make any video he wants especially if Takei highlighted not inviting him
d. Shatner's so called rant rings quite true if Takei is holding a silly grudge for some unknown and undiscussed past wrong

I would lean towards Shatner's side on this one.

[Justin]

Are you serious?

Has anybody ever heard of dry sarcasm?

If you took him seriously you obviously haven't learned anything from William Shatner over the past 30-40 years or so: WILLIAM SHATNER IS NEVER SERIOUS.

I think it's hillarious that even dumbass Takei, who has worked with him for years (and Shatner says barely saw each other, he OBVIOUSLY wasn't serious there)took him seriously and got offended.

Some queens need to seriously pull their panties out of their cracks and get screwed or something.

[dons]

I have been a trek fan for 40 years. And i have met George on several occasions. He is a wonderful kind gentleman.

This is a quote from George at a Dayton convention about William Shatner.

"I think that it is terrible that Bill has missed out on many great times and some wonderful friendships."

That was the worst I have ever heard him say about Shatner.

I think that George would have invited him to his wedding.

I think and this is just me. That Shatner may have the mind set that he was just doing a job and that he did not associate him self with co workers or many co workers.

Bill Leonard and Deforest (God rest his soul.) did have and Bill and Leonard still have a strong friendship.

The rift if any is in George's book To The Stars he writes about the filming of the promotion of Mr Sulu. to captain. This was filmed during Star Trek II but was not inculded in the movie George states Bill purposely screwed up each take till the point where there is so much time and energy used that the director decides to scrap the footage all together.

Although all turned out well for all of them in the end I relay don't think George is not all that bitter over it.

And in the truth of things they all are icons. Gene Roddenberry and the entire cast gave us so much it was and is great entertainment that taut us to see our selves.

As for my self i know they are human they do have there human faults but in my years of travel to meet these wonderful people I have and still thank them for being my heroes and my friends.

peace to you all.

Live long and Prosper

[Damian]

Well, the only thing I can say is that Shatner definitely has a very bubbly personality and he likes being the center of attention and in the spotlight. I'm like that too, I'm a natural performer, and sometimes I get petty little sniping from people who are jealous. I'm good at a lot of things too, which doesn't help. What should I do, though? Apologize for who I am? Apologize because I'm better than someone else at something?

It's amazing that Takei would harbor this resentment over the years, though. And if I were Shatner, I'd be just as angry too. I don't blame him. It's not fun to be excluded, even if you are bombastic and a little full of yourself.

[Bonk]

This is all pathetic. The whole business.
They are both disgusting little babies.
They do not deserve any time spent on them.
The only reason I am writing this is in the hope that some will see the truth about just how ridiculous they both are.
Remember, they are just idiots that stood in front of a camera and spoke lines someone else wrote. SO WHAT!
Any idiot can do that. Look at the idiots that are doing it today?
Some of you here are right. There are many other issues going on to WASTE TIME with these 2 WASTES OF TIME!

[Richy]

Shatner is an incredible actor, icon, legend. And if you think his ego is huge, he has NEVER even seen himself on film. I gotta give him credit for going WAY out of his way to protest the inappropriate homophobic label this situation cast on him. Didn't he marry Alan on the final Boston Legal? ... "sleep over tonight Alan?" I love this man.