John Waters released from hospital after car accident

Baltimore filmmaker John Waters was released from the hospital Tuesday morning after a car accident.

The 78-year-old released a statement asserting that although he was injured in the crash in Baltimore County, he did not suffer any major injuries.

“Since it hurts when I laugh, I won’t have a funny answer to saying I was in a car accident that no one said was my fault,” he said. “I hope you understand. I’m being released from the hospital and everything is fine.”

Waters did not provide any details about the car accident.

Fans of the cult filmmaker behind classics like “Hairspray” and “Pink Flamingos” may have breathed a sigh of relief as rumors began circulating on social media Monday night that he was in critical condition.

The director and screenwriter’s last public appearance was last weekend at the Maryland Film Festival, where his favorite film, the thriller “Butt Boy,” was shown. In an interview last week, Waters described the film as “weird” but well-made.

The Pope of Trash has generally been busy in recent weeks: In early April, he confirmed that Aubrey Plaza would star in “Liarmouth,” a film adaptation of his first novel — and his first film in about 20 years.

Taji Burris has been covering the Baltimore music scene since 2015 for outlets such as The Working Title and The 4th Quarter and now the Baltimore Banner.