The Fashion Police are getting rapped by the P.C. Police. Giuliana Rancic issued an on-air apology after facing mounting backlash over comments about Zendaya's hair on Monday night's Fashion Police special episode. And some of that criticism was being leveled by one of the show's own.

Rancic took time out of the beginning of Tuesday's E! News telecast to address the controversy, saying it was "weighing very heavy on my heart," adding "I want to apologize for a comment I made on last night's Fashion Police about Zendaya's hair."

The TV personality made a joke about the dreadlocks sported by the 18-year-old actress at the Oscars. "I feel that she smells like patchouli oil... or weed. Yeah, maybe weed." The crowd in the studio laughed, but Zendaya, whose father is black, and plenty of others were offended. Rancic's Fashion Police mate Kelly Osbourne went as far as tweeting that she is reconsidering her part in the show.

First things first: here is the young star of the Disney Channel series K.C. Undercover's mature response to the comment on Twitter:

Kerry Washington, Chloë Grace Moretz, and others spoke out in support of Zendaya.

About one hour later — according to the time stamps on the tweets, anyway — the 40-year-old Rancic posted an apology to Zendaya.

Osbourne, who was also mentioned in some of the Twitter chatter that followed Monday's show, weighed in about an hour after Rancic.

She returned to her feed on Tuesday afternoon to hastily type this:

Related: Kelly Osbourne on New 'Fashion Police' Season After Joan Rivers' Death: 'Change Isn't Fun'

While E! did not immediately respond to a request for comment or Osbourne's remarks, Rancic herself took on the issue at the beginning of her newscast.

"I'd really like to address something that is weighing very heavy on my heart," Rancic said. "I want to apologize for a comment I made on last night's Fashion Police about Zendaya's hair. Now, as you know, Fashion Police is a show that pokes fun at celebrities in good spirit, but I do understand that something I said last night did cross the line. I just want everyone to know I didn't intend to hurt anybody. But I've learned it is not my intent that matters; it's the result. And the result is that people are offended, including Zendaya, and that is not OK.

"Therefore, I want to say to Zendaya and to anyone else out there that I have hurt that I am so, so sincerely sorry. This really has been a learning experience for me. I've learned a lot today, and this incident has taught me to be a lot more aware of cliches and stereotypes... how much damage they can do, and that I am responsible, as we all are, to not perpetuate them further. Thank you for listening."

If Osbourne did depart from the E! show, Rancic would be the only original cast member remaining. Fashion Police went on the air in 2010, with the late Joan Rivers hosting a panel of Osbourne, Rancic, and George Kotsiopoulos. Just last month, Kathy Griffin came on as host and Brad Goreski as a panelist.