After sharing what seemed to be a harmless picture of her dogs on the Fourth of July, Kaley Cuoco has found herself in the midst of a social media firestorm.
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The 30-year-old “The Big Bang Theory” actress shared a picture of her three dogs to Instagram over the holiday weekend clad in matching American flag bandanas. What appeared to upset the majority of fans, however, was that two of her dogs were sitting on the American flag spread out on the ground.
The image, which has since been deleted from Cuoco’s Instagram page, garnered over 400 comments with users debating its offensiveness and asking the actress to take it down.
One fan wrote, “Showing disrespect for the flag, it should never touch the ground, or let your pet stand on it!” Another added, “Shame on you, Kaley. You lost a fan.”
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One commentator wrote, “Big fan and I know you didn’t mean any disrespect, but very disappointed that this pic is still up.” While another got heated, adding, “That flag needs to be burned now.”
The television star has since addressed the seemingly offensive image in a follow-up Instagram post. “I would like to comment on a photo I posted yesterday, that has caused lots of controversy,” Cuoco wrote. “First off, please know, I have the utmost respect for my country. I am a proud American in every sense of the word. I understand the American flag stands for our freedom and represents American heroes, past and present.”
“Yesterday I made a mistake by posting the picture that was taken of my sweet dogs posing on an American flag,” the 30-year-old continued. “I sincerely apologize to anyone that has been offended by my previous post. This is no way reflects my feelings toward what the American flag represents. Living in the public eye, can be extremely difficult at times. Every mistake and every imperfection is amplified. I am not perfect. I am a proud American, today, tomorrow, always.”
