Dua Lipa was left feeling "sad and angry" after some fans mistook her tweet featuring a map of 'Greater Albania' as an expression of extreme Albanian nationalism.
The New Rules hitmaker posted a map that includes Albania, Kosovo and parts of neighbouring European countries, and a definition of the word autochthonous - describing people who are "indigenous rather than descended from migrants or colonists" - to suggest Albanians belonged there.
Lipa, whose parents are from Kosovo, was accused of favouring extremism after posting the map, which is used by hardline Albanian nationalists who desire the creation of a Greater Albania - a claim she denied in a Twitter statement.
"My previous post was never meant to incite any hate," the star wrote. "It makes me sad and angry that my post has been wilfully misinterpreted by some groups and individuals who promote ethnic separatism, something I completely reject.
"Whenever I post about Kosovo, my feed goes crazy, even if it's about something as joyful as food or music, and I am met with fierce resistance to the idea of an authentic Kosovan culture."
Signing off, the star added: "We all deserve to be proud of our ethnicity and where we are from. I simply want my country to be represented on a map and to be able to speak with pride and joy about my Albanian roots and my mother country. I encourage everyone to embrace their heritage and listen and learn from each other. Peace, love, and respect to all - Dua x."
Some followers were unimpressed by the clarification, however, with many pointing out that the map the star posted also included regions that are parts of its neighbours rather than just Kosovo or Albania.
