British crooner Sir Rod Stewart has apologised after a video emerged showing him appearing to imitate an Islamic State-style execution.
In the video, posted on Instagram by his wife Lady Penny Lancaster-Stewart, Sir Rod is with a group of people in a desert scene. He stands behind a man on his knees and mimics the cutting off of his head.
The clip was taken before the 72-year-old rocker's concert in Abu Dhabi.
"Understandably this has been misinterpreted and I send my deepest apologies to those who have been offended," Sir Rod said in a statement.
Lady Penny's caption to the video on Instagram read: "Rod Stewart (leader) band doing a 'Beatles' sand dune crossing."
It has been removed, but many called it "disgraceful" and disrespectful to victims of Islamic State killings.
The group gained notoriety after posting videos online of executions, like that of David Haines and Alan Henning.
Sir Rd, known for his 1970s hits Maggie May and Da Ya Think I'm Sexy, apologised but said his actions had been misinterpreted and that he had been recreating fictional scenes from TV shows such as Game of Thrones.
"From re-enacting The Beatles' Abbey Road crossing to spontaneously playing out Game Of Thrones, we were simply larking about pre-show," he said in a statement.
"Understandably this has been misinterpreted and I send my deepest apologies to those who have been offended."
Newshub.