Beyoncé's longtime dance captain, Ashley Everett, has retracted her allegations against Virgin Voyages after initially claiming she was forcibly removed from a stage during a performance of "Single Ladies."
Everett, who appeared in the iconic music video for "Single Ladies," took to social media earlier this week to accuse the cruise line of racial discrimination. She alleged that crew members pulled her off the stage while allowing white guests to perform the same song. However, after reviewing the situation, she acknowledged that her accusations were based on a misunderstanding.
In a statement posted Wednesday, Everett wrote:
"I want to clear something up from my birthday trip with @virginvoyages. After getting more clarity, I realized the situation I spoke about involved other guests -- not the Virgin team. That part matters, and I take full responsibility for misdirecting that frustration."
Her initial posts criticized Virgin Voyages for what she perceived as a lack of recognition for Black creators. "Virgin voyages wants black creators and all their sauce -- but doesn't acknowledge, highlight, or actually know them…??? Weird," she wrote on Monday. She claimed she was removed from the stage because of a complaint, adding, "I left -- immediately after they let all the complaining white folks up on that same stage."
Virgin Voyages responded to the original complaint by telling PEOPLE that the incident was "a safety-based decision made in the moment" and "not directed at any one individual."
Everett has since deleted her earlier posts and expressed regret for her statements. The controversy appears to be resolved, with both parties moving forward.