Pop singer Demi Lovato issued an emotional apology for a recent promotional trip she took to Israel after being the subject of significant backlash from those who felt her trip was “offensive.”
“I accepted a free trip to Israel in exchange for a few posts,” Lovato, 27, wrote in a since-deleted Instagram story. “No one told me there would be anything wrong with going or that I could possibly be offending anyone.”
Because Lovato disabled the comments on her Instagram pictures documenting her recent trip to Israel, it was not immediately clear which posts or whose criticisms inspired the apology.
“This was meant to be a spiritual experience for me, NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT,” the Confident singer wrote. “Now I realize it hurt people and for that I am sorry. Sorry I’m not more educated, and sorry for thinking this trip was just a spiritual experience.”
[Opinion: Why is Demi Lovato apologizing for visiting Israel?]
Demi Lovato apologizing for her recent trip to Israel. The singer has also disabled the comments on her Instagram pics from Israel. pic.twitter.com/fHgWqQ8wO9
— Amanda Prestigiacomo (@AmandaPresto) October 3, 2019
Lovato made headlines during summer 2018 for being hospitalized after a heroin overdose. She had previously been outspoken about her struggles with drugs and alcohol and had recently released a song titled Sober, which detailed a relapse into drug use after six years of sobriety.
“I was raised Christian and have Jewish ancestors,” Lovato wrote in a caption on her original posts from her trip to Israel. “When I was offered an amazing opportunity to visit the places I’d read about in the Bible growing up, I said yes. There is something absolutely magical about Israel.”
Lovato also said she was baptized in the Jordan River, a popular pilgrimage for Christians hoping to be baptized in the same place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. “To be baptized in the Jordan river – the same place Jesus was baptized – I’ve never felt more renewed in my life,” she recounted of the experience. “This trip has been so important for my well-being, my heart, and my soul. 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.”
