As some have found out the hard way, social media can get you in a lot of trouble, because people either use it when they’re all emotional and send out something they regret, or they’re overly spontaneous and post something that causes a big stir. Apparently, Madonna falls into the second group of social media users, because she dropped the N-word on her Instagram account, as reported by TMZ.

It all started when the “Ray of Light” singer posted a photo of her son Rocco Ritchie in a boxing ring and wrote the following words: “No one messes with Dirty Soap! Mama said knock you out. #disn—a.”

Instantly, the Internet became a buzz and many of her followers chastised the singer and told her she shouldn’t use the word at all, and since then the photo and the strange message that accompanied it was replaced with an apology.

“I am sorry if I offended anyone with my use of the N-word on Instagram,” she wrote. “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.”

And while some chose to forgive Madonna, others chose to let her have it. “Ur a passive aggressive simpleton that negates others feelings to give an excuse for why u should be able to say a word,” one person wrote. “Ur pettiness is unbecoming, work on that.”

Why the pop star decided to use the word is unknown, and why she thought it wouldn’t cause a stir is an even bigger mystery. However, it’s doubtful this small controversy will damage the singer’s credibility or dim her star much, because people have incredibly short memories and tend to move on to other things rather quickly, which of course works to Madonna’s benefit.

Image via Wikimedia Commons