Demi Lovato Apologizes Following Backlash Over Trip To Israel: 'I'm Sorry If I've Hurt or Offended Anyone'
Demi Lovato is speaking out to explain her recent decision to travel to Israel, and apologizing to those who were offended by her trip.
The singer returned to the United States earlier this week after what she described as a "magical" journey traveling around Israel. Lovato opened up about a number of things she experienced, including being baptized in the Jordan river and her somber visit to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in Jerusalem.
However, her posts also faced a lot of heated criticism from many who accused the singer of promoting or supporting Israel amid the country's long-standing conflict with Palestine, and insinuated that the singer's posts were meant to represent a political stance on the conflict.
Lovato explained in the lengthy post shared to her Instagram story that she feels "extremely frustrated" by the recent controversy, and that she feels bad for unwittingly upsetting or offending anyone.
"I accepted a free trip to Israel in exchange for a few posts. No one told me there would be anything wrong with going or that I could possibly be offending anyone," Lovato wrote. "With that being said, I'm sorry if I've hurt or offended anyone, that was not my intention."
Lovato went on to claim that no one had told her about the "potential backlash" that her trip to the nation, and her subsequent posts sharing her photos from her travels, could generate.
"This was meant to be a spiritual experience for me, NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT," Lovato stressed. "Now I realize it hurt people and for that I'm sorry."
The singer also told her fans that she's "sorry I'm not more educated, and sorry for thinking this trip was just a spiritual experience."
Lovato went on to say that, by coming onto Instagram to address the backlash directly, she was "going against all advice" and that she was "apologizing because it feels right to me."
"I'd rather get in trouble for being authentic to myself than staying quiet to please other people," Lovato added. "I love my fans, all of them, from all over the world."
Before the outrage prompted her apology, it appeared that Lovato had a truly transformative time learning more about her distant spiritual heritage and meeting with people who live and worship in the country.
"This trip has been so important for my well-being, my heart, and my soul," she wrote on Tuesday. "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"
For more on some of Lovato's recent high-profile Instagram posts, check out the video below.
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