Chiquis Rivera apologizes for using racial slur

Tragic singer Jenni Rivera's daughter Chiquis Rivera has apologized for using a racial slur in an interview.

The Mexican-American singer posted a video on YouTube last month (Feb15), thanking her fans for helping her earn a Premio Lo Nuestro nomination for Regional Mexican Female Artist of the Year.

Rivera lost out but still ended up at the podium to accept the prize on behalf of her mom, who died in 2012. In the online video, the singer showed her gratitude for all her family's supporters, and said, "Y'all my n**gas."

The singer was criticized for using the derogatory term, and appeared on TMZ Live on Monday (16Mar15) to offer her apologies, insisting the N-word will "never come out of her mouth again".

She said, "This is something that's a huge deal, and I want to take full responsibility for it. I want to apologize if I offended anybody."

Rivera, who was born in raised in Compton, California - a predominantly African-American and Hispanic neighborhood, noted the term was commonly used as she was growing up, and that she never meant to use it in a derogatory way.