Madonna shocked fans Friday by posting a photo of her 13-year-old son, Rocco Ritchie, on Instagram with the hashtag "#disnigga."
Moments later, she deleted the post and lashed out at critics who questioned her use of the word.
While some fans defended Madonna, others voiced their disgust over her use of the word.
Update: Jan. 18, 2:15 p.m., ET: Madonna issued an apology to the Associated Press for the racial slur on her Instagram.
"I am sorry if I offended anyone with my use of the N word on Instagram. 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," she said. "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."