Cardi B apologizes after large Thanksgiving celebration draws backlash

Cardi B is apologizing after she and husband Offset shared tweets and video hosting a large gathering at their Atlanta home for Thanksgiving.

Cardi B, 28, tweeted Saturday that she hosted "12kids and 25 adults over the holidays," while Offset, also 28, shared a video on Instagram of himself, his wife and 10 others dancing mask-less in their foyer.

She issued an apology the next day, after backlash from fans criticizing the couple for not following social distancing or small gathering guidelines while coronavirus cases around the United States spike. As of Monday, the U.S. has seen more than 13.3 million cases and 266,887 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins data.

The rapper noted on Sunday that she and "everyone that works around me" gets tested "literally 4 times a week" for the coronavirus.

"Sorry my bad wasn’t trying to make nobody feel bad," she tweeted. "I just had my family in my home for the first time and it felt so good & uplifted me. I spent soo much money getting every1 tested but it felt worth it.I wasnt trying to offend no1."

Thanksgiving guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Americans keep celebrations only to those who live in the same household for the lowest risk of spreading COVID-19. Neither the CDC nor Georgia's Department of Public Health released guidelines on appropriate group sizes, though the CDC noted for those opting to host groups anyway, factors such as staying indoors and not staying six feet apart or wearing masks can contribute to higher risk levels.

Rita Ora also came under fire for attending a gathering over the weekend to celebrate her 30th birthday.

Paparazzi photos showed the British singer and a group of friends entering a London restaurant on Saturday. Ora wrote Monday on her Instagram Story that she attended "a small gathering with some friends" in a "spur of the moment decision" to celebrate her birthday, apologizing for her "misguided view that we would be coming out of lockdown and this would be OK."

The United Kingdom government's coronavirus guidelines include a stay-at home order, which is in effect until Wednesday, when the U.K. will "return to a regional approach, based on the latest data." Britons must remain at home "except for specific purposes" and avoid meeting with people they do not live with, according to guidelines. As of Monday, the U.K. has 1.6 million COVID-19 cases and 58,342 deaths, per Johns Hopkins.

"I'm deeply sorry for breaking the rules and in turn understand that this puts people at risk," she wrote. "This was a serious and inexcusable error of judgement. Given the restrictions, I realise now how irresponsible these actions were and I take full responsibility."

She added: "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."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cardi B, Rita Ora apologize for Thanksgiving weekend events amid COVID