Nicole Scherzinger has issued an apology after a comment she made on Russell Brand's Instagram sparked backlash.
After Brand, 49, posted a picture with a red hat with the slogan 'Make Jesus First Again', which bore a strong resemblance to president-elect Donald Trump’s 'Make America Great Again' baseball caps, Nicole, 46, commented: "Where do I get this hat?"
However, many of her fans and social media followers were dismayed that she was engaging with controversial comic Brand and appearing to support Trump's win in the US Presidential election.
Following the backlash, Nicole took to Instagram to write: "I deeply apologize 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 realizing that they could be easily interpreted as being politically related and I apologize 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 marginalized 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.
"Like so many others, in times of adversity and uncertainty, I turn to my faith. 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.”
