Jim Carrey Under Fire for Telling Female Journalist She's on His 'Bucket List' During Interview

Jim Carrey is being criticized for comments he made regarding a female journalist during a recent interview.

While promoting his new film Sonic the Hedgehog, the actor, who plays villain Dr. Robotnik in the film, did an interview with U.K. publication Heat. During the sit-down, which was posted online by the publication, entertainment reporter Charlotte Long asked Carey, 58, if there were still any big achievements that he still hoped to check off his bucket list.

“In the film, Sonic has a bucket list, I was wondering, after all you’ve done in your career and in your life, is there anything still left on your bucket list?” she asked.

“Just you,” he replied. “That’s it. It’s all done now.”

“I don’t know what to say to that,” she said with a laugh as the actor, also laughing, told her to “just own it.”

Many online were quick to speak out against Carrey, labeling his remarks as inappropriate and “unacceptable.”

“Look up ‘sleazeball’ in the dictionary and there’s a photo of @JimCarrey,” wrote one Twitter user, as another added: “It’s not a cute moment. As a former reporter, I would be very embarrassed and offended if someone said this to me in an interview.”

Another Twitter user wrote that while they’re “huge” fans of the actor, “this is really unacceptable.”

“Lost respect for him today,” they continued, while praising Long, who has since made her Twitter page private, for the way she handled the interaction, which occurred during the middle of the interview.

“Whyyy is this kind of thing still going on? Well handled, you’re a legend,” added another.

A representative for the actor tells PEOPLE in a statement: “This is a ridiculous non-story.”

“The full quote was ‘Just you! That’s it, I’m all done now!’ Jim was clearly referring to the interview as being on his bucket list and was in no way referring to the journalist herself. This is just another example of a clickbait headline pandering to ‘scroll culture.’ “

Several social media users also spoke out in the actor’s defense, claiming that he was referring to the interview being on his bucket list.

“He didn’t insinuate sex, he said he was done with his bucket list. It was an off the cuff remark. People need to relax. If anything he made it seem like it was the interview on his bucket list,” wrote one Twitter user. “He was trying to be nice. Relax everyone.”

“It’s about as innocent as as a line gets. You obviously meant the interview with her,” added another, while a third wrote: “This fake Jim Carrey outrage is insane. He clearly meant the interview with her was the last thing on his bucket list, indicated by saying ‘it’s done now.’ ”

Sonic the Hedgehog opens Friday.