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LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Blake Shelton apologized Wednesday for a number of controversial past tweets. The 40-year-old country star claimed he meant his comments as a joke after facing accusations of homophobia and racism over the series of old Twitter posts.
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"Everyone knows comedy has been a major part of my career and it's always been out there for anyone to see. That said anyone that knows me also knows I have no tolerance for hate of any kind or form," Shelton wrote.
"Can my humor at times be inappropriate and immature? Yes. Hateful? Never," he asserted. "That said I deeply apologize to anybody who may have been offended."
Shelton, who boasts 17.8 million followers on Twitter, had written several tweets about gay men and non-English speakers between 2009 and 2011. The posts, which surfaced online over the weekend, have since been deleted.
"Standing in line at a coffee shop in LA talking with the man in front of me. He orders a skinny caramel latte. I couldn't tell he was gay!!!" Shelton wrote in March 2011.
"Wish the [expletive] in the next room would either shut up or learn some English so I would atleast know what he's planning to bomb!!" he tweeted the same month.
Ellen DeGeneres also faced accusations of racism this week after posting a photo of herself riding on Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt's back. The television personality responded by saying that she's "the furthest thing" from racist.
