Ellie Goulding's beating heart may have beat a little faster this past Halloween weekend, when she found herself in hot water with her fans.
The "Burn" singer, 27, ignited a firestorm when she shared a photo via Instagram of herself wearing an imitation Native American headdress. The image, which has since been deleted by the star, was accompanied by a caption reading "Chief."
In the shot, Goulding wears brown suede fringed bottoms, a beaded layer on her top, and the large, tribal-inspired headpiece, which included beading and feathers. She then posted a second image, showing a tight shot of her face but offering a peek at the beaded elements around her neck and on her chest, and a pair of feather earrings in her ears.
The costume prompted swift and furious backlash from viewers, who called the ensemble "racist" and "insensitive."
After deleting the full look of her outfit, Goulding denied that it was a costume and offered up an explanation.
Responding to a Twitter user who brought up the controversial look, the singer wrote on Saturday, Nov. 1, "I wore that beautiful unauthentic headpiece for about 5 minutes. I haven't worn my costume for Halloween yet."
Another tweeter suggested that Goulding make amends by making a donation to a Native American cause. "Hey Chief perhaps you can support the Native American Children/ Donate/ spread the word… IndianYouth.org/Dreamstarter" the user wrote.
"Then I shall!" the British star responded. "Thank you x."