Potential Republican  presidential candidate Ben Carson has apologized for recent remarks he made on CNN claiming being gay is a choice because “a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight — and when they come out, they’re gay”.

“So, did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question,” he added at the time.

Now, Carson is walking the statement back, while also saying he “realized that my choice of language does not reflect fully my heart on gay issues.” CNN reported carson’s apology.

“I do not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation. I regret that my words to express that concept were hurtful and divisive. For that I apologize unreservedly to all that were offended,” he added.

Carson referenced his medical education and his work at Johns Hopkins Hospital and asserted that the verdict is still out on whether people are born either gay or straight.

“Some of our brightest minds have looked at this debate, and up until this point there have been no definitive studies that people are born into a specific sexuality,” he said.