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They say time heals all wounds, and for Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr., an awards ceremony celebrating his Disney legacy was the perfect time to make public amends for a Mickey Mouse mishap from his youth.
According to the New York Daily News, Downey Jr. was visiting the Happiest Place on Earth this past weekend to accept a Disney Legends award for his work on the Iron Man and Avengers franchises. During his acceptance speech, Downey Jr. remembered his first ever trip to the amusement park, when a teenage Tony Stark was apprehended by security for smoking weed on a gondola.
“Here’s a bit of trivia for you. The very first time I went to Disneyland I was transported to another place — within moments of being arrested,” Downey Jr. joked. “I was brought to a surprisingly friendly processing center, given a strict warning, and returned to, if memory serves, one very disappointed group chaperone. I’ve been sitting on that shame for a while and I’m just going to release it here tonight.”
Disney doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to cannabis. But when it comes to Downey Jr., the Marvel golden boy can do no wrong. Even as a teenage troublemaker, he was allowed to return to the park after a stern talk from park authorities. In his off-the-cuff speech, Downey Jr. made sure to thank the security guards for their leniency.
“I would like to make amends to whoever had to detain me for smoking pot in a gondola without a license,” Downey continued. “And I don’t wanna further confuse the issue by insinuating that pot-smoking licenses for the gondola are in any way obtainable.”
Of course, Downey is in good company in Disneyland’s unofficial Ganja on the Gondola club, which also includes America’s 44th President, Barack Obama.
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