Demi Lovato apologizes after backlash over free trip to Israel

Demi Lovato has apologized for accepting a free trip to Israel where she was baptized in the Jordan River.

“I’m extremely frustrated,” the 27-year-old pop star, who was raised Christian, wrote in a since-deleted Instagram story. “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. With that being said, I’m sorry if I’ve hurt or offended anyone, that was not my intention.”

Lovato admitted she didn’t realize her trip would cause controversy, as it was not meant to be a political statement, and apologized for not being “more educated.” Many fans viewed the “Sorry Not Sorry” singer’s trip as support for Israel amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Sometimes people present you with opportunities and no one tells you the potential backlash you could face in return,” she continued. “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. Sorry I’m not more educated, and sorry for thinking this trip was just a spiritual experience.”

The “Sober” singer admitted she went “against all advice” given by her team and chose to publicly apologize because it felt “right” to her.

“… I’d rather get in trouble for being authentic to myself, than staying quiet to please other people,” she wrote. “I love my fans, all of them, from all over.”

Lovato shared several photos from her sponsored trip earlier this week, which included a stop to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem.

The pictures remain on her profile, but she has since turned off commenting.

A rep Israel’s Ministry of Tourism didn’t immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.