The Dalai Lama Issues an Apology After Asking a Boy to ‘Suck My Tongue’ On Video

The Dalai Lama has issued an apology after he is seen in a video kissing a child on the lips before asking him to “suck my tongue.” The encounter between the Dalai Lama and the young boy occurred at an event in northern India.

In a statement to CNN, the Dalai Lama’s office stated his desire “to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”

The statement also claimed the Dalai Lama teases people he meets “in an innocent and playful way” both in public and in front of cameras.

In the video, the young boy asks for a hug, leading to instructions about where to kiss him. The Dalai Lama would grab the boy’s chin and kiss him on the mouth before stating, “And suck my tongue.”

The incident occurred at the M3M Foundation, a branch of a real estate company in which the Dalai Lama resides.

The statement from the Dalai Lama is available below.