Madonna has apologised for using a racial slur referring to her son Rocco on Instagram.
The singer swiftly deleted the offending photo using the hashtag "#disnigga" after her followers started berating her.
She then defiantly posted another photo with a caption that started "Ok, let me try this again" - before deleting that post entirely and using her publicist to issue a more formal apology.
Releasing a statement on Saturday, Madonna (kind of) apologised for her actions, beginning "Forgive Me":
"I am sorry if I offended anyone with my use of the 'n-word'"
"It was not meant as a racial slur. I am not a racist. There's no way to defend the use of the word."
She continued:
"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."
It's not the first time Madonna caused controversy on her Instagram account - earlier this month she put up a picture of Rocco drinking with her young friends, which, after attracting criticism, she then defended by posting on the photo-sharing site: "No one was drinking we were just having fun! Calm down and get a sense of humor! Don't start the year off with judgement!"
