Earlier this week, Ariana Grande found herself in a rather compromising position when she was caught licking doughnuts and saying "I hate America" on camera. There's plenty of speculation that it's the reason why she pulled out of (or was pulled out of) the MLB All-Star Concert. Though the official statement claims the reason is "emergency oral surgery recovery," many are unconvinced.

Often times, people say actions speak louder than words, and this is true in most instances. However, one should never underestimate the power words can have, especially for those in the limelight. This is also true for social settings. Words can very easily be taken out of context and misunderstood, whether they are written or spoken aloud. I implore you to think before you speak; you never know who you're confusing or whose feelings you could be hurting.

In Ariana's case, her words ("I hate Americans. I hate America.") in combination with her actions (licking doughnuts on a counter) ignited a frenzy among fans and non-fans alike.

She recently sent BuzzFeed News a statement regarding the incident this past Wednesday:

I am EXTREMELY proud to be an American and I’ve always made it clear that I love my county*. What I said in a private moment with my friend, who was buying the donuts, was taken out of context and I am sorry for not using more discretion with my choice of words. As an advocate for healthy eating, food is very important to me and I sometimes get upset by how freely we as Americans eat and consume things without giving any thought to the consequences that it has on our health and society as a whole. The fact that the United States has the highest child obesity rate in the world frustrates me. We need to do more to educate ourselves and our children about the dangers of overeating and the poison that we put into our bodies. We need to demand more from our food industry. However I should of** known better in how I expressed myself; and with my new responsibility to others as a public figure I will strive to be better. As for why I cannot be at the MLB show, I have had emergency oral surgery and due to recovery I cannot attend the show. I hope to make it up to all those fans soon. That being said let me once again apologize if I have offended anyone with my poor choice of words.

*Grande’s representative later corrected this to “country”.
**Grande’s representative later corrected this to “should have”.

While her words may have been "taken out of context," the fact remains that her words were still seen as highly offensive, if not to proud Americans, then to those struggling with obesity.

I'm not saying that one should watch every single word that they say, because some people are just easily offended and others very outspoken. I only wish to remind you all that your words do in fact carry quite a bit of weight; it is not only your actions that will speak for you.

For footage of Ariana Grande's slip-up see below: