Chad Brownlee apologizes over social media post depicting conspiracy theory

Canadian country singer Chad Brownlee has apologized after posting a conspiracy theory image criticized as racist and antisemitic on his social media accounts.

The musician from British Columbia issued the original post on Tuesday and then deleted it, however some social media users captured a screen grab of it.

The manipulated image depicts Jewish-American billionaire philanthropist George Soros with a chess board and pieces made up of protesters and the COVID-19 molecule.

Soros has been the target of many right-wing conspiracy theories, including claims he's funding anti-fascist activists in the protests against racism and police brutality in the United States.

Reacting to social media anger over the post, Brownlee wrote on his Twitter and Instagram accounts that he apologizes for sharing an image "that was wrong, inappropriate and could be perceived as racist."

He added his "intention in posting the image was nothing of the sort," although he acknowledges "how people could easily have seen it that way."