Rita Ora Apologizes for Breaking England Lockdown With 30th Birthday Party

Rita Ora is apologizing to her fans for not being as cautious as she could have for her 30th birthday party. However, there are potential fines involved after breaching COVID-19 rules to attend her birthday party at a restaurant. As a result, the venue in which her celebration took place is now under investigation, according to The Guardian.

The singer issued an apology after she was seen at the Casa Cruz in west London with about 30 people in attendance. Now the venue could face a hefty fine of around 10,000 euros, and there's still a possibility she may have to cough up some cash as well. Ora took to her Instagram stories to send out a public apology saying, "Hello all, I attended a small gathering with some friends to celebrate my 30th birthday. It was a spur of the moment decision made with the misguided view that we were coming out of lockdown and this would be OK..." she started her statement.

"I'm deeply sorry for breaking the rules and, in turn, understand that this puts people at risk," she continued. "This was a serious and inexcusable error of judgment. Given the restrictions, I realize how irresponsible these actions were and I take full responsibility." She concluded with, "I feel particularly embarrassed knowing first-hand how hard people have worked to combat this terrible illness and being fully aware of the sacrifices that people and businesses have made to help keep us all safe. Even though this won't make it right, I want to sincerely apologize."

One source told The Sun, "Rita and her sister come to the restaurant first, all dolled up and clearly looking forward to a good night. Several guests all dressed up very glamorously, and everyone entered the building through the back, with security watching the front to make sure no one else went in. It went on until the early hours." Ora was photographed wearing high heels, a white satin dress and a coat as she was escorted to and from the restaurant.

While she may have issued an apology, people are still furious with her decision. "Like many others, we sacrificed our big day to follow the rules, so it's really frustrating to hear that some haven't," Roxy Kuznir told the outlet after explaining that she and her fiancé had to push their wedding back because of the rules. "Perhaps they think the rules don't apply to them because they're rich or famous." Others aired their frustration as well, especially those who have worked the frontlines.