Demi Lovato is apparently “Sorry Not Sorry” for her recent trip to Israel. After the singer’s Instagram post doting on her getaway received major backlash, Lovato deleted her note of apology just minutes after she shared it to her Instagram Story. Lovato’s trip, during which she got baptized in the Jordan River, was slammed by some who accused the singer of supporting Israel amid the country’s long-standing conflict with Palestine.
“I’m extremely frustrated,” Lovato’s since-deleted apology read, according to a screenshot nabbed by Entertainment Tonight. “I accepted a free trip to Israel in exchange for a few posts. No one told me there would be anything would be anything wrong with going or that I could possibly be offending anyone.”
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“With that being said, I’m sorry if I’ve hurt or offended anyone, that was not my intention,” she continued. “Sometimes people present you with opportunities and no one tells you the potential backlash you could face in return. This was meant to be a spiritual experience for me, NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT and now I realize it hurt people and for that I’m sorry.”
“Sorry I’m not more educated, and sorry for thinking this trip was just a spiritual experience,” she added. “Going against all advice right now and apologizing because it feels right to me and I’d rather get in trouble for being authentic to myself, than staying quiet to please other people. I love my fans, all of them, from all over.”
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On Wednesday, the 27-year-old singer took to the social media platform to reflect on her recent travels, writing that “there is something absolutely magical about Israel.”
“This trip has been so important for my well-being, my heart, and my soul,” she added, sharing a gallery of images showcasing some of her fondest memories from the getaway, including a visit to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. “I’m grateful for the memories made and the opportunity to be able to fill the God-sized hole in my heart. Thank you for having me, Israel.”
Shortly after it was shared with her 74.5 million followers, however, the criticism began rolling in.
“Demi Lovato praising Israel is disgusting and wrong,” one person wrote in response to the post. “She knows exactly what is going on in Palestine, hundreds of people are being killed everyday, women and children are getting raped by Israelis soldiers and yet you’re telling me to not make a big deal out of it?”
Along with issuing and then deleting an apology, Lovato has also since turned off the comments on the post.
