BRYAN ADAMS has apologised after posting an angry rant online blaming coronavirus on "f***ing bat eating, wet market animal selling bas***ds".
The Run To You singer appeared to blame China for the spread of COVID-19 in an expletive-laden message posted to Instagram alongside a clip of him performing his 1983 hit Cuts Like A Knife.
In the message, Adams appeared to blame China for the spread of coronavirus while urging people to go vegan.
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 bas***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.”
Adams continued: “To all the people missing out on our shows, I wish I could be there more than you know. It’s been great hanging out in isolation with my children and family, but I miss my other family, my band, my crew and my fans.
“Take care of yourselves and hope we can get the show on the road again soon. I’ll be performing a snippet from each album we were supposed to perform for the next few days. X❤️ #songsfromisolation #covid_19 #banwetmarkets #selfisolation #bryanadamscutslikeaknife #govegan.”
While Covid-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China back in December 2019, its official origin remains unknown.
Wuhan’s wet markets, which sell live produce, have been cited by many as the source of coronavirus, but no connection has yet been confirmed.
The comments sparked an angry reaction from many online, with Adams accused of racism over his references to “bat-eating” and “wet market animal selling".
However, the Summer of ‘69 star has now sought to clarify his comments in an apology posted alongside a clip of him performing another of his signature hits Into The Fire.
“Apologies to any and all that took offence to my posting yesterday,” he wrote.
“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.”
