Val Kilmer Doesn't Think His Neighbors Are Homicidal Drunks After All

Actor apologizes to New Mexico officials for string of derogatory interviews mentioning state, in attempt to get request to open B&B on his ranch approved

Has there been a worse case of putting your foot in it? Oh, nevermind.

Val Kilmer was forced to swallow his pride, amp up the charm and eat you-know-what during a commission meeting in New Mexico yesterday, when he asked his neighbors if they would pretty-please give him a permit to open a bed-and-breakfast in the same place he's been publicly trash-talking and implicating as a hick mecca for the last few years.

So how did it go?

Pretty well, surprisingly.

Kilmer turned up at the San Miguel County commission meeting in rural New Mexico yesterday, doing his best to explain away and apologize for a string of interviews in Rolling Stone (what is it about that magazine?) and Esquire that painted that particular corner of the world and its residents as less than desirable.

That's assuming calling somewhere "the homicide capital of the Southwest" and proclaiming that "80 percent of the people in my county are drunk" aren't particularly desirable traits. Though last time we checked, neither featured too prominently on any quality-of-life indices.

"I can only ask that you view my apology as a stepping-stone toward repairing this misunderstanding between us," said the actor, who previously had attempted to muffle the controversy by claiming he was misquoted.

Kilmer went on to proclaim how highly he thinks of the county and how he understands that his comments might have ruffled a few feathers, since that's what happens "when you hear negative things about a place you love."

His request for a permit was originally approved in March, but was challenged by a local resident who claimed the business would be inherently racist, since one of Kilmer's ill-advised comments revolved around his belief that Hispanics would not be able to afford his fine facilities.

However, his latest serving of humble pie was apparently tasty enough for the commission, who subsequently reapproved the actor's request for a permit to convert three guesthouses at his Pecos River ranch into customer-ready crash pads.