Madonna apologized for posting a racial slur on an Instagram caption in reference to her son on Saturday.
The musician put up a photo of her 13-year-old white son Rocco on Friday night, with "No one messes with Dirty Soap! Mama said knock you out!" and a variation of the n-word written underneath.
Madonna simply asked fans, who responded with outrage immediately after she posted the picture, to "Forgive me."
"I am sorry if I offended anyone with my use of the n-word on Instagram," she wrote in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. "It was not meant as a racial slur. I am not a racist. 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."
The statement counters Madonna's initial reaction, which was to call users who criticized her word choice "haters."
"I appreciate that it's a provocative word, and I apologize if it gave people the wrong impression," Saturday's statement concluded.
Earlier in January, Madonna posted another picture of Rocco and his friends holding bottles of liquor, which prompted a wave of criticism from followers.
"No one was drinking, we were just having fun!" Madonna said later, defending the post. "Calm down and get a sense of humor!"
