Bryan Adams has been accused of being 'racist' following a social media outburst where he blamed the coronavirus outbreak on the 'bat-eating, wet market animal selling b*****ds'.
The 'Summer of 69' singer was apologising to fans for having to cancel his Royal Albert Hall gigs because of the ongoing pandemic when he made the comments.
Posting to his Instagram account, Adams shared a clip of him performing a rendition of his 1983 hit 'Cuts Like A Knife'.
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He wrote: "CUTS LIKE A KNIFE. A song by me. Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of a tenancy of gigs at the @royalalberthall, but thanks to some f***ing bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy b*****ds, the whole world is now on hold, not to mention the thousands that have suffered or died from this virus.
"My message to them other than "thanks a f***ing lot" is go vegan."
The post has come in for criticism, with many claiming the comments were hugely offensive and dangerous.
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Writing on Twitter, one person said: "The news that Bryan Adams is a disgusting, racist troglodyte really cuts like a knife."
A second put: "So turns out Bryan Adams is a racist..."
"Who had "Bryan Adams revealed as racist a**hole" on their 2020 Bingo card?" added a third.
Amy Go, president of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice, said his comments would fuel 'racial hatred'.
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She told CBC News: "This is so irresponsible and just so, so, so, so racist. People look up to public figures. He is seen as an idol by many."
Alongside a video of himself performing, Adams later posted an apology to Instagram, which read: "Apologies to any and all that took offence to my posting yesterday.
"No excuse, I just wanted to have a rant about the horrible animal cruelty in these wet-markets being the possible source of the virus, and promote veganism. I have love for all people and my thoughts are with everyone dealing with this pandemic around the world."
Wet markets sell a variety of fish and meat straight from the producers. The presence of wild animals at these markets is said to potentially increase the spread of disease.
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It has been widely suggested that a wild animal wet market in the city of Wuhan, China, was responsible either in being the source of, or an accelerant to the spread of the coronavirus.
However, experts at the World Health Organisation have stated that more research is necessary in order to determine exactly how the outbreak began.
And while many have criticised Adams for his strongly-worded comments, animal rights group PETA claimed the aim was to promote veganism.
Responding to the rocker's Instagram post, the group wrote: "This is why it's crucial for everyone to go vegan now to prevent the next pandemic.
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"It's up to us to create a kinder, healthier future for all species."
LADbible has approached Bryan Adams' representatives for comment.
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