William Shatner came under fire from many people online on Saturday after he tweeted he was unable to make it to the funeral of his friend and Star Trek co-star Leonard Nimoy, who had died at age 83 a day earlier.
Shatner, also 83, who played Captain Kirk alongside Nimoy's Mr. Spock, said he had made a prior commitment to attend the 58th International Red Cross Ball in Palm Beach, Florida that night, where he was honored, along with fellow entertainers Wayne Newton and Shirley MacLaine. He added that he felt "really awful" about missing the funeral.
"I chose to honor a commitment I made months ago to appear at a charitable fundraiser. A lot of money was raised. So here I am; tell me off," Shatner tweeted on Sunday.
On Saturday, Shatner had also called on his Twitter followers to spend some time the following day "celebrating Leonard's life and remembering the man," who he had said he had loved like a brother.
He also said on Sunday that his daughters Melanie and Lisabeth will attend Nimoy's memorial service, which took place that morning. The actor lived in Los Angeles with his wife, Susan Bay.
"He had a good, long life, he did a lot of things, he inspired a lot of people, he was loved by a lot of people and he loved a lot of people," Shat told Local10.com on-camera at the ball. "It's sad that you have to be reminded that life is that short."
In addition to scores of negative posts on social media about the actor's decision to miss the funeral, The New York Daily News ran a front page story about it, with the headline "Captain Jerk!" Shatner posted a tweet in response, with a photo of the newspaper, saying, "I want to share this. Let's discuss it."
?@NYDailyNews: An early look at tomorrow's front page. http://t.co/ZDjADxLW48 pic.twitter.com/ijdwAwDw14? I want to share this. Let's discuss it
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
He also said, in response to a suggestion that he charter a private jet to Los Angeles after the ball, "I must have missed your email about underwriting the arrangement and payment for this."
.@c_write @LFarris812 Walking out on a major fundraiser wouldn't have you calling me a jerk for leaving a charity high & dry? Hmm?
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
He also posted, "One of the other misconceptions seems to be that folks think flights to LAX occur all night long."
Last-minute tickets on trips for any major U.S. city are hard to come by. Flights from Palm Beach to Los Angeles are not direct, meaning there's more chance for delays, and there are also fewer of them on weekends.
The latest flight to L.A. out of Palm Beach International Airport on Saturday took off around 7 p.m. ET. The earliest time of arrival in the West Coast city on Sunday for a flight from Palm Beach is around 11:30 a.m.
Around 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Shatner began a Twitter Q&A with fans, sharing heartwarming thoughts and memories of Nimoy.
Ok so I'm thinking we use the #LeonardNimoy hashtag
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
Read several of his tweets below.
Leonard and I seemed to be bound by fate to be friends. We were born 4 days apart. #LeonardNimoy
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
He was tall, lanky and sometimes a bit too serious. #LeonardNimoy
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
We worked together previous to Star Trek, first impressions: nice guy, a real professional, took the job/role seriously. #LeonardNimoy
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
?@nickwilli131: @WilliamShatner what was your favorite memory of Mr. Nimoy? #LeonardNimoy? Every moment I spent with him.
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
?@Craabpot: @WilliamShatner What was he like when off the set? #LeonardNimoy? Intelligent, insightful, just a precious gem of a man.
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
?@pasutcliffe: What life lessons did you learn from each other? #LeonardNimoy? I learned to be more serious I think he learned to be less.
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
He took the role of Spock very seriously and I would try and get him to crack a smile while in his persona. It was hard to do. #LeonardNimoy
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
?@jeanyreeny: @WilliamShatner what's the coolest thing he gave you that you've kept? #LeonardNimoy? His love and friendship.
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
?@Silver1903: @WilliamShatner what made you laugh about him? #LeonardNimoy? His seriousness
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
?@T_Mihn_: #LeonardNimoy Leo Did you two ever prank each other?? I think Leonard thinks he pranked me & I just let him believe that! ??
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
?@Marensjs12: @WilliamShatner If you had 1 word to describe him what would it be? #LeonardNimoy? Love
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015
?@_Peccavimus: @WilliamShatner What's the best thing he's ever said to you? #LeonardNimoy? I love you.
? William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2015