Madonna is sorry for using a racial slur on Instagram. After the proud mama shared an Instagram post of son Rocco Ritchie boxing Friday, Jan. 17 along with an offensive caption, she shared a statement with Us Weekly Saturday afternoon apologizing for her use of the N-word.
“I am sorry if I offended anyone with my use of the N word on Instagram. It was not meant as a racial slur.. I am not a racist,” she said. “There’s no way to defend the use of the word. It was all about intention.. It was used as a term of endearment toward my son who is white. I appreciate that it’s a provocative word and I apologize if it gave people the wrong impression. Forgive me.”
The controversy started after the Material Girl, 55, wrote in the caption beside the picture of her son, “No one messes with Dirty Soap! Mama said knock you out!” along with the hashtag “#disni–a” trailing her message. In the offending post, the star’s 13-year-old son with ex Guy Ritchie wears shorts and boxing gear as he spars in the ring.
The mother of four — daughters Lourdes, 17 and Mercy, 8, and sons Rocco and David, 8 — was immediately met with outrage from fans who found her caption offensive. “MADONNA U NEED TO TAKE UR arthritis medicine instead of trying to be hip on the internet,” one user wrote in response.
Minutes later, she took the photo down and later uploaded the same exact image with another response: “Ok let me start this again,” she wrote. “#get off of my d-ck haters!”
In early January, the pop legend incited scandal while documenting her holiday skiing trip with her kids in Switzerland. In one Instagram post, the singer uploaded a picture of Rocco proudly holding up a bottle of Tanqueray gin. “The party has just begun! Bring it! 2014,” she wrote. After fans promptly questioned the way-underage Rocco holding a bottle of liquor, the “Addicted” singer responded, “No one was drinking we were just having fun! Calm down and get a sense of humor!”
The pop diva, who is currently hobbling around in crutches, is expected to perform next Sunday, Jan. 26 at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
