Ellen DeGeneres defended herself against allegations of racism after a customized meme was posted to her Twitter account of the now-famous Usain Bolt race photograph, in which she appears to ride “piggyback”-style on the sprinter’s back.
“I am highly aware of the racism that exists in our country,” the 58-year-old talk show host and comedian tweeted Tuesday. “It is the furthest thing from who I am.”
This is how I’m running errands from now on.#Rio2016pic.twitter.com/gYPtG9T1ao
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) August 15, 2016
“This is how I’m running errands from now on,” the photo’s caption read.
The photo was swiftly met with derision on the social media platform, with users accusing DeGeneres of racism, whether intentional or not.
“So riding on his back like a mule, a horse as some form of property is fun to you,” one user tweeted.