Days after American publication The Cut took down a controversial article that called actress Priyanka Chopra a “global scam artist” in the context of her marriage to musician Nick Jonas, Mariah Smith, the author of the article, has apologised to the couple and her readers on Twitter.

“I want to sincerely apologise to Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, and to the readers I offended and hurt with my words,” Smith tweeted on Friday. “I do not condone racism, xenophobia, or sexism. I take full responsibility for what I wrote, and I was wrong. I am truly sorry.”

The Cut describes itself as a women’s interest website and is brought out by the New York magazine.

Headlined “Is Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’s Love for Real?”, the December 4 article in its original form alleged that the American musician, who rose to fame as a member of the now-defunct boy band Jonas Brothers in the late 2000s, had a “fraudulent relationship against his will” with Chopra. It also criticised the couple for monetising their wedding through various brand endorsements, placing the blame of that on the actress.

The article faced severe backlash online for its racist and sexist tone, as well as its America-centric perspective, because it accused Chopra of trying to rise in the ranks in Hollywood by marrying an American celebrity, ignoring the fact that she has been a major star in India since 2003.

Among those who hit out at article were Joe Jonas, the brother of Nick Jonas, and his fiance, Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner.

After the ensuing controversy, The Cut first published a watered-down version of Smith’s article and later took it down altogether, saying that “upon further editorial review”, the publication realised that it did not meet their editorial standards.

When asked about the article at an event in New Delhi on Thursday, Chopra reportedly said, “It’s not even in my stratosphere. I’m in a happy place at this moment. These kinds of random things can’t disturb it.”

Chopra and Jonas were married in Jodhpur on December 1.