Updated

COVINGTON, La. (AP) — BP chief executive Tony Hayward is apologizing for saying "I'd like my life back" to reporters over the weekend.

Hayward said in a statement posted on the company's Facebook site Wednesday that the remark was hurtful and thoughtless. He apologized to the community and the families of the 11 men who were killed in the April 20 rig explosion.

Hayward said "those words don't represent how I feel about this tragedy, and certainly don't represent the hearts of the people of BP — many of whom live and work in the Gulf — who are doing everything they can to make things right."

Hayward says his top priority is to restore the lives of the people of the Gulf region and their families.