Kaley Cuoco apologises for 4th July Instagram photo of her dog sat on the American flag

The actress says she made a mistake and is a 'proud American'

Kaley Cuoco (Getty)

The social media age has also brought with it the ubiquitous celebrity apology.

High-profile people who choose to share their updates with fans online soon learn that with millions of followers comes the risk of sparking a backlash even from posts shared with the best of intentions.

Take Kaley Cuoco, who has found herself issuing a profusely apologetic Instagram post over a photo she shared of her dog.

On the 4 July, aka Independence Day in the US, the Big Bang Theory actress shared a photo of her three dogs, who were being looked after by a dog sitter, donned with patriotic accessories. Two of the dogs had stars and stripes scarves around their necks and, in the middle, another dog was seen sat on a flag.

While many found the photo of three dogs adorable, the image prompted criticism from others who reportedly accused the 30-year-old of “disrespecting” the flag on Independence day, by having her dog sit on it.

Cuoco has since deleted the original post and now shared an image of the American flag in a heart shape along with a lengthy caption apologising for the apparent “big mistake” she made.

“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.

“[...] 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,” she wrote.

However, many of the comments on the apology post are supportive of Cuoco and question why she even felt the need to say sorry or take the post down.

"Oh for the love of Jebus why are you apologising for that??", one Instagram user asked. Another wrote: "As a veteran, I didn't find anything offensive [...] If it had been a beach towel that looked exactly the same nothing would be said." Another commenter added: "I don't see anything wrong with your post of your cute doggies."