Pop singer Demi Lovato triggered a flurry of negative reactions over the weekend when, in a largely innocuous exchange with fans on Twitter, she was asked to name the funniest prank she has ever pulled off.
Lovato said that she hired a sex worker to enter the hotel room of her bodyguard when they were staying in Las Vegas, where prostitution is legal.
"She walked into his room without permission and grabbed him in his 'area' and he freaked," Lovato said, sharing her amusement.
A number of Twitter users called Lovato out, saying that she was admitting to a serious episode of sexual harassment, an issue that has drawn growing attention amid the rise of the #MeToo movement.
Lovato deleted the post and quipped: "I swear I could tweet something about craving jelly beans and it would offend someone."
But she also urged upset people to revisit her song "Warrior" in which she speaks of being a survivor of sexual abuse.
"Maybe you'll have more compassion for a simple mistake," she wrote, while adding: "So sorry if anyone was offended."
