US actress Blake Lively issued an apology on social media for making a joke about Kate Middleton, following the princess's announcement on Friday that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
"I'm sure no one cares today but I feel like I have to acknowledge this," Blake wrote on Instagram, shortly after Kate went public with her diagnosis. "I made a silly post around the 'Photoshop fails' frenzy, and oh man, that post has me mortified today. I'm sorry."
She added, "Sending love and well wishes to all, always."
The actress, 36, earlier this month, posted a photo of herself sitting poolside in a lounge chair with an unusually large lemon floating above her as she held onto a Betty Buzz can as part of an ad campaign for the drink company she founded. A few details on her hand also appeared to be Photoshopped implying the jibe at the Princess of Wales.
On March 10, the princess posted a Mother's Day photo of herself with her three children on social media, writing, "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C."
But soon after, the Associated Press and other news agencies, which had picked up the photo, said it was being pulled over concerns it had been "manipulated."
"AP initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace," the news agency said. "But AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appeared the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand."
A day later, Middleton apologized for the "confusion."
The princess announced on Friday she is in the early of chemotherapy following her January abdominal surgery. Many showed their support including King Charles and Queen Camilla, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. Shortly after Kate's announcement, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issued a statement expressing their support for Harry's sister-in-law.
"We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's statement read.
The Princess of Wales' diagnosis a little more than a month after that of King Charles III, who announced Feb. 5 that he'd begun treatment for cancer.