Rapper Sexyy Red has issued an public apology to Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., following controversy over an AI-generated image featuring the rapper alongside the late civil rights icon.

The incident began when the “Pound Town” rapper shared an artificial intelligence-generated image that depicted her with Dr. King on social media. The post quickly drew criticism, particularly from Bernice King, who expressed strong disapproval of the altered image.

Bernice King condemned the post in no uncertain terms, stating, “This is intentionally distasteful, dishonoring, deplorable, and disrespectful to my family and my father, who is not here to respond himself because he was assassinated for working for your civil and human rights and to end war and poverty.”

The response highlighted not only the personal nature of the offense but also served as a powerful reminder of Dr. King’s ultimate sacrifice in the fight for civil rights and social justice. Bernice King’s words emphasized the gravity of using AI to manipulate images of historical figures, particularly those who paid the ultimate price for their activism.

Following the backlash, Sexyy Red took to social media to apologize, acknowledging her mistake and expressing regret for sharing the image. “You ain’t wrong, never meant to disrespect your family my apologies. Just resposted something I saw that I thought was innocent ,” the rapper wrote in response to Bernice King’s criticism.

As AI technology keeps advancing and making it easier to create doctored images, this incident reminds us that some lines shouldn’t be crossed, especially when it comes to sensitive historical contexts or figures.