It may be too late to say, “Sorry,” Justin.
Justin Bieber outraged heartbroken Prince fans by garishly suggesting the pop legend was “not the last greatest living performer,” attempting to steal the spotlight just hours after the award-winning superstar died.
The tasteless comment came after songwriter Andrew Watt posted a heartfelt tribute to the fallen musical genius on Instagram Thursday.
“Today waking up to this news I am truly beside myself...devastated...the last of the greatest living performers...my guitar idol,” Watt wrote alongside a photo of himself playing the guitar while wearing a prince T-shirt. “His connection to ALL his instruments yielded a sexual transcending aura.”
Bieber commented on an Instagram tribute to Prince by musician Musician Andrew Watt (r.).
As Watt’s followers commented with their condolences, Bieber jumped in with a different opinion.
“Well not the last greatest living performer,” the 22-year-old “Sorry” singer posted.
It’s not clear if Bieber — who has not publically commented on Prince’s Thursday death — was taking a jab at the icon’s music, bragging about his own work or a making a snarky, tone-deaf remark about how the “Purple Rain” star is no longer living.
The comment has since been deleted, and the childish vocalist replaced it with a one-word apology.
“Sorry,” he wrote.
But that did little to subdue Prince fans, who pounced on Bieber and called his crass comment “selfish” and “disrespectful.”
“Have some empathy you fool,” one commenter wrote. “He was an idol. Better idol than you could ever be.”
“Prince just died and you want to comment something so unnecessary and try to make it about yourself,” another chimed in. “Grow up.”
Prince, 57, died inside his Chanhassen, Minn., recording studio Thursday. An autopsy will be performed Friday.
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