The tweets were deleted shortly afterwards and Green's account was deactivated. During his first interview in three years, he told the Sunday Times his comments were "highly irresponsible".
"I do realise in retrospect that it was highly sensitive, what I tweeted - highly irresponsible," he said. "It did stem from emotion causing some involuntary action, and I do believe that, maybe just possibly, we could all give each other a margin for human error.
"And in those instances I do realise I'm an artist, that I'm flawed; and sometimes, you know, you don't think. I was most certainly not thinking, not considering whom I might offend. And to those many people, however many or however few, I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise again."
Green has a new album due out this year with production by Mark Ronson, Paul Epworth and Pharrell Williams. He said the album celebrated women and was nearly titled Girl Power.
"At one point it was called Girl Power, because it is all about the adornment, the upliftment, the exaltment and the appreciation of all things woman," he said.
One song has been released from the upcoming album - a tribute to the late actor and comedian Robin Williams.
- nzherald.co.nz
