Madonna Apologizes for Using the “N” Word on Instagram, Says “I Am Not a Racist”

Madonna had posted a photo of her son Rocco in the boxing ring, along with the caption, “Nobody messes with Dirty Soap! Mama said knock you out!” and then included the hashtag “#disn***a.”  “Mama said knock you out” is a reference to the LL Cool J song of the same name; it’s not clear what “Dirty Soap” means, though it may be Rocco’s nickname.

When she was then attacked online for using that hastag, she removed the caption, and replaced it with the line, “OK, let me start this again. #get off my d***, haters!”

Next, since calling people who were upset about her use of a racially-charged term “haters” probably wasn’t the best way to ease the tension, Madonna posted the following apology on her Facebook page: “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. There’s no way to defend the use of the word.”

She added, “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.”