Demi Lovato© @ddlovato

Demi Lovato apologizes for taking free trip to Israel after facing backlash

The singer addressed her critics in a social media post


UPDATED DECEMBER 4, 2019 5:02 AM EST

 Demi Lovato  is facing major backlash after posting about her “magical” trip to Israel. Earlier in the week, the Sorry Not Sorry singer shared pictures from her trip with fans and opened up about how wonderful the experience was to see the places she had read about in the Bible. “This trip has been so important for my well-being, my heart, and my soul,” she wrote. “I’m grateful for the memories made.” However, her peace didn’t last long because soon after, critics began flooding her comments, accusing her of taking a political stance on the Israel-Palenstine conflict.

© @ddlovato

The 26-year-old responded with a lengthy social media story apologizing for her ignorance. "I'm extremely frustrated," she wrote. "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.”

She continued: “With that being said, I'm sorry if I've hurt or offended anyone, that was no my intention. Sometimes people present you with opportunities and no one tells you the potential backlash you could face in return. She then cleared the air, writing that her motive was not political. "This was meant to be a spiritual experience for me, NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT and now I realize it hurt people and for that I'm sorry,” she wrote. “Sorry I'm not more educated and sorry for thinking this trip was just a spiritual experience.”

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The singer ended her note revealing that she’s apologizing and “going against all advice.” “I’d rather get in trouble for being authentic to myself than staying quiet to please other people,” she shared. “I love my fans, all of them, from all over.” During her trip, Demi visited Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Remembrance Center and several holy sites, including the Western Wall and the Jordan River, where she was baptized.