Cynthia Erivo apologises after forgetting words to US national anthem

'Some people have quiet mess ups, some people mess in front of the world'

Cynthia Erivo (Getty Images)

Cynthia Erivo has apologised after forgetting the words to the US national anthem while performing before a basketball game.

The London-born actor and singer was asked to sing “The Star Spangled Banner” in New York as the Brooklyn Nets took on the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

But multi-award winning Erivo, 31, forgot the words during her performance and stopped to regain her composure.

The crowd at the Barclays Centre applauded her as she resumed the song. She later apologised on Twitter, blaming the incident on being “nervous and tired”.

She said: “Some people have quiet mess ups, some people mess in front of the world. I’m human and I mess up in the same way as everyone else, so if you were watching tonight, I’m sorry, I was nervous and tired.

“I strive for perfection, so right now no one can beat me up more than myself.”

She added a sad face emoji. Erivo is a Grammy and Tony Award-winning musician, having starred as Celie in the 2015 Broadway revival of The Colour Purple.

Erivo recently starred in Steve McQueen’s heist movie Widows. Hours before performing at the NBA game in New York, she announced she had signed with Verve Record and plans to record a new album in 2019.