Will & Grace star speaks out on Starbucks gay slur fight

Diminutive TV actor Leslie Jordan has opened up about his dramatic altercation with a homophobe at a Starbucks in Hollywood.

Jordan, who is possibly best known for his role as Beverley Leslie in Will & Grace, was reported to have thrown coffee at a group of young men who caused trouble at the Santa Monica Boulevard coffee shop.

After the men yelled at the manager, “You will die fucking faggot,” a furious Jordan reprimanded the trio. When one allegedly came at the actor, he responded by throwing his beverage at him.

Hailed as something of hero, the 1.5 metre openly gay star addressed the incident on his Facebook page on Saturday.

“I was hoping to remain silent on the incident at Starbucks but somehow the story found legs and has made its way into the press. I feel I owe my friends an explanation,” he wrote.

“Truth be told it was ‘sweet’ iced tea, not coffee. I am a ‘sweet’ mannered Southern boy who was taught not to start a fight. Nobody ever told me I could not end one. I refused to sit and watch these hate crimes continue. I guess our work for equality is not done yet!” Jordan explained.

“I’m being hailed a hero which is all well and good but I lost my temper. My heroes in life always kept their cool,” the 60-year-old added.

The men were cuffed and questioned by police, but neither they nor Jordan were arrested.

In addition to his role in Will & Grace, Jordan has appeared in dozens of TV shows, including Ally McBeal, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, American Horror Story, Supernatural and RuPaul’s Drag Race.