Nicole Scherzinger appears to have apologised for engaging with content posted by Russell Brand referencing the US presidential election.
Following an online backlash, the American singer and actress, 46, issued an apology in which she explained she did not realise her comments would be interpreted in a political manner.
Her statement appears to refer to a comment she had made on an Instagram post that had been uploaded to Brand’s page on November 6 as Donald Trump closed in on election victory.
The post included a photo of comedian Brand holding a cap that looked similar to Mr Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats, instead embellished with the words “Make Jesus First Again”.
The comment from former Pussycat Dolls star Scherzinger has now been deleted but screenshots, widely circulated on social media, show the star commenting: “Where do I get this hat!!!?”
In a post to her Instagram story, Scherzinger said: “I deeply apologise for the hurt caused by my recent engagement with some social media posts.
“When I commented on these posts, I made the mistake of not realising that they could be easily interpreted as being politically related and I apologise to anyone who understandably reached that conclusion.
“Many presumptions are being drawn, which do not reflect who I am, what I stand for, or who I voted for.
“Many of the marginalised communities feeling hurt and concerned by the results of the presidential election are people I care about most.
“I stand with them, as I always have, throughout my life and career.
“If you know me, you know that.
“I believed that the posts I engaged with were about encouraging people to choose love and faith – ‘putting Jesus first’.
“For me Christ embodies peace, compassion, hope, and above all – unconditional love, especially for those who may feel it the least right now.
“I come from a place of love and I will always support values that bring us closer together. It’s so important we come together with compassion, and love one another more now than ever. Nicole.”
A joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches revealed last year that four women had accused Brand of sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013.
The actor denies the accusations and previously stated that all his sexual relationships were “absolutely always consensual”.
Brand has spoken about his thoughts on the US election online in a series of posts to his social media accounts.
President-elect Donald Trump will assume office on January 20.
