Nicole Scherzinger Says Sorry for Russell Brand Hat Backlash

Nicole Scherzinger has issued an apology after she received intense backlash for liking a MAGA-styled hat modeled by “comedian” Russell Brand.

Brand seemed to brandish the hat—which said, “Make Jesus First Again”—in the moments after President-elect Donald Trump clinched his return to the White House.

He captioned the photo with, “God Bless America.” And while Scherzinger was impressed with his hat trick, writing, “Where do I get this hat?” with prayer hands, others weren’t so impressed. In comments, social media users accused her of making a thinly veiled show of support of MAGA.

However, she insisted she “made the mistake of not realizing” that her comment could be “interpreted as being politically related” in a statement posted to her Instagram stories, reported Variety.

“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,” the statement continued. “If you know me, you know that. Like so many others, in times of adversity and uncertainty, I turn to my faith.”

However, Scherzinger’s ex-bandmate Melody Thorton seemed to throw shade her way as the backlash around her grew, reported the Daily Mail.

Thornton, who has publicly feuded with Scherzinger, posted a meme of Ben Affleck smoking a cigarette with a pained expression on his face. And the post seemed to capture how several people felt about this week’s turn of events.

“I’m cryinggggg,” wrote one social media commentator.