Cher has apologised after receiving backlash for insisting she could have saved police brutality victim George Floyd.
Like many Americans, the singer has been watching coverage of the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer whose controversial actions led to Floyd's death last May, sparking a summer of Black Lives Matter protests, but fans and followers on social media felt she went too far when she suggested she could have saved George if she was there.
"Was talking With Mom & She Said 'I Watched Trial Of Policeman Who Killed George Floyd,& Cried'," Cher tweeted.
"I Said 'Mom, I Know This Is Gonna Sound CRAZY, But I Kept Thinking... Maybe If I’d Been There... I Could’ve Helped (sic)," she went on.
Fans reacted negatively to the statement, with some suggesting the that music icon had minimised efforts witnesses had made to diffuse the situation and assist Floyd, and that she demonstrated a white saviour complex.
Cher then jumped back on social media and attempted to explain herself, proclaiming: "Wrestled With This Twt (tweet), Because I Thought some ppl (people) wouldn’t understand, Or Believe an Entertainer Could have Honest emotions about a human Being, suffering & Dying, even if It’s Only Shown On tv. You Don’t Know What I’ve Done, Who I Am, Or What I Believe. I CAN, I HAVE, & I WILL... HELP...(sic)"
She returned later and admitted a pal had made her realise her tweet was ill-conceived.
"I Just got off phone With Friend Karen," she wrote, sharing: "Told her what Happened, & Realized, You Can P**s Ppl Off, & Hurt Them By Not Knowing Everything That’s 'NOT Appropriate' To Say. I know Ppl Apologize When They’re In a Jam, BUT TO GOD, IM TRULY SORRY If I Upset AnyOne In Blk Community. I Know My (heart) (sic)."
