Madonna Apologizes For N-word Reference

Madonna apologized Saturday for using the N-word in an Instagram post that included a photograph of her 13-year-old son Rocco boxing. 

The racial slur -- originally posted on Instagram Friday -- was soon thereafter deleted.

"I am sorry if I offended anyone with my use of the N word on Instagram," Madonna said in a statement. "It was not meant as a racial slur. I am not a racist. There's no way to defend the use of the word. It was all about intention. It was used as a term of endearment toward my son who is white. I appreciate that it's a provocative word and I apologize if it gave people the wrong impression. Forgive me."

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The photo of Rocco showed him apparently training in boxing gear. The pop star captioned the image by quoting the LL Cool J hit Mama Said Knock You Out, but she also included a variation of the N-word with "dis" included as a prefix.