Ariana Grande hits back after Marilyn Monroe tweet storm

Ariana Grande has taken aim at online critics who bombarded her with abusive tweets after she paid tribute to screen icon Marilyn Monroe.

The singer/actress took to Instagram.com to remember the Some Like It Hot siren on what would have been her 88th birthday.

In a caption posted alongside a snap of the late star, she wrote, "Happy birthday Marilyn #misunderstood #beautiful #innocentrebel."

The post prompted a barrage of negative comments from Grande's followers about Monroe's reported fragile mental state prior to her death in 1962.

Grande was quick to call out her detractors, taking to Twitter.com to pen a scathing retort.

She wrote, "So much hate for celebrating Marilyn's spirit on her birthday. I adore her work and have compassion for her inner sadness that she covered up on a daily basis that (people) like you made her feel in the first place!! Judging her for her wildly rumoured personal life (which is truly no one else's business) is only a distraction from her talent, beauty, comedic genius and effervescent spirit...

"We should only and always focus on the beautiful things... because what we focus on expands..... which is why I feel for the people who focus on hate... because that's all you have to give. And I truly do feel sorry for you because when you've been dead for 50 some odd years... nobody will be wishing you a happy birthday."