Pop star Lady Gaga is apologizing after using the word “retarded” in a magazine interview published this week.

The singer got flack from a number of advocacy groups for using the word, which many in the disability community have fought to remove from the vernacular arguing that it’s offensive to those with intellectual disabilities.

“I’ve written loads of music. Why would I try to put out a song and think I’m getting one over on everybody? That’s retarded,” Lady Gaga said as she defended herself against accusations of plagiarism during the interview with NME, a British music magazine.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

The singer, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, quickly issued a statement of apology that appeared on PerezHilton.com.

“I consider it part of my life’s work and music to push the boundaries of love and acceptance. My apologies for not speaking thoughtfully. To anyone that was hurt, please know that it was furiously unintentional,” she said.

Lady Gaga is not the first public figure to ruffle feathers by using the r-word. In recent years, Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Silverman, Rush Limbaugh and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel have been criticized for using the term.

Read more stories like this one. Sign up for Disability Scoop's free email newsletter to get the latest developmental disability news sent straight to your inbox.