Burger King bosses offer apology to Mary J. Blige

Burger King bosses have apologised to Mary J. Blige and her fans for releasing a new ad featuring the singer before it was complete.

The fried chicken advert, in which the Family Affair hitmaker sings about the contents of the fast food chain's latest menu item, hit the Internet on Monday (02Apr12) and has since been taken down due to "licensing issues".

The clip also came under attack from African-American rights groups, who complained that a black singer advertising a fried chicken snack was bordering on "buffoonery".

Burger King bosses have now confirmed the ad was released prematurely and there is still work to be done on the promo campaign.

A statement reads, "We would like to apologise to Mary J. and all of her fans for airing an ad that was not final."

Responding to the fuss over the commercial, a statement from Blige reads: "I agreed to be a part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence. Unfortunately, that's not what was happening in that clip... I understand my fans being upset by what they saw. But, if you're a Mary fan, you have to know I would never allow an unfinished spot like the one you saw to go out."

A final, approved ad will be released in due course.