Actor and content creator Kiki Darling, whose real name is Hari Kishen Balakrishnan, released an apology video on Thursday (Sep 10), following his resignation from Jack Neo's upcoming film Ah Boys To Firefighters.

Hari's departure from the film came amid public backlash after his past conviction for sexual assault resurfaced in a viral video posted by content creator S Subhraaj.

In the more than three-minute video, Hari addressed his past conviction and apologised for not being transparent with his audience.

"I take full responsibility," the 26-year-old said. "And the harm that I caused the victim – there's really nothing I can do to ever undo such pain."

Hari also spoke about the period following his conviction. He was sentenced to at least six months' reformative training, a regimented rehabilitation programme for young offenders who commit relatively serious crimes.

He said he attended rehabilitation programmes and, because of the nature of his offence, underwent regular counselling with a psychologist.

"When I came out, I knew I needed to dedicate my life to move forward and to be a better person," he said.

Hari said he returned to education, completed his O Levels and enrolled in Republic Polytechnic to study culinary arts. He also began volunteering with migrant workers and other underprivileged communities.

"Somewhere along the way, I started creating comedy content as Kiki Darling, and it was something that I never expected to become such a big part of my life," he said.

"Eventually, I built a community that supported me, loved me, and believed in me online and offline."

Hari said he had initially believed he did not need to disclose his past to his wider audience because he no longer had access to his criminal records after applying for university. However, he acknowledged that he had been open about his past with some people who had supported him and given him professional opportunities.

"This is where I need to acknowledge another mistake on my part," he said. "While I had been open about my past to them, I did not extend this same opportunity and this openness to all of you, and I'm reall...