Mischa Barton Apologizes For Post About Alton Sterling & Philando Castile Deaths With Photo In Yacht

Mischa Barton, who is best known for starring on The O.C., landed in hot water after attempting to weigh in on the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

MIscha Barton Apology

This week, Sterling and Castile – two young black men – were killed by police officers in two separate incidences. Sterling was killed in Louisiana after police approached him where he was selling CDs. Castile was shot dead by a police officer in Minnesota after getting pulled over for a broken taillight. The killings were both caught on tape, and have reignited the conversation about police use of force, particularly against black men.

In an effort to show solidarity with the black community and the Black Lives Matter Movement, Barton took to Instagram with a lengthy post. In her post, the actress expressed her heartbreak over Sterling’s death and called for stricter gun control. Undermining her message, however, was the picture she posted along with it, which featured her sipping a glass of wine on a yacht.

“I’m truly heartbroken to watch videos like the #AltonSterling execution. This may have been going on forever in the United States but thank god the pigs get caught on camera now,” Barton wrote. “It’s unthinkable and an embarrassment to America. The country I was brought up in. Somebody make change.”

Barton added, “We need gun control and unity. And a real President so think about that when this election is around the corner. The world is a precarious place right now. #stop #reflect and #act appropriately.”

My heart goes out to Mischa Barton in her time of need. The struggle is real. #YachtLivesMatter #DontShootHer pic.twitter.com/IKzFpTa95G

— Andrew Marin (@ndrewmarin) July 7, 2016

The comments section on Barton’s post was soon filled up with criticism that pointed to the inappropriate picture she selected in lieu of one more relevant, like one featuring Sterling. In response to the criticism, Barton removed the picture from Instagram and issued an apology on Twitter.

“I’m human, I’m not perfect, and I’m sorry if my Instagram post went out of context,” she wrote. “I didn’t mean to offend anyone.”

I’m human I’m not perfect and I’m sorry if my Instagram post went out of context I didn’t mean to offend anyone

— Mischa Barton (@MischaBarton) July 8, 2016