DENNIS RODMAN: Sorry About What I Said In North Korea, 'I Had Been Drinking'

Ex-NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman has apologized for comments he gave while in North Korea on the case of Kenneth Bae, the American missionary currently being held by the regime, AP is reporting.

In a statement to AP, Rodman said: "I want to apologize. I take full responsibility for my actions. It had been a very stressful day. ... I had been drinking. ... I want to first apologize to Kenneth Bae's family. ... I embarrassed a lot of people. I'm very sorry."

Rodman blew up on Chris Cuomo during a Tuesday interview on CNN, after the host asked whether Rodman would use his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to try and get Bae freed.

"The one thing about politics, Kenneth Bae did one thing. If you understand - if you understand what Kenneth Bae did," Rodman said. "Do you understand what he did? In this country?"

Bae was sentenced to serve 15 years hard labor on specious charges back in May, International Business Times reports.

Here's how the rest of that interview went:

"What did he do?" Cuomo said. "you tell me."

"You tell me," Rodman said. "You tell me. Why is he held captive?"

"I don't give a rat's ass what the hell you think," Rodman yelled at Cuomo. "You are the guy behind the mic right now. ... We are the guys who have to go back to America and take the abuse."

Rodman has been criticized from all sides for his behavior - even from Charles D. Smith, one of the basketball players who joined him on the trip.

"The way some of the statements and things that Dennis has said has tainted our efforts," Smith told AP on Tuesday. "Dennis is a great guy, but how he articulates what goes on - he gets emotional and he says things that he'll apologize for later."