Ashley Judd Apologizes For 'Rape Culture' Comments

Actress Ashley Judd issued an apology for comments she made about the genre of Hip-Hop music in her new memoir, "All That Is Bitter and Sweet."

The singer labeled most music within the genre of Hip-Hop  as part of a "rape culture" with "insanely abusive" lyrics.

"As far as I’m concerned, most rap and hip-hop music — with its rape culture and insanely abusive lyrics and depictions of girls and women as ‘ho’s' — is the contemporary soundtrack of misogyny.”

Judd made the comments while discussing her doubts about working with organization YouthAIDS, because of their affiliation with Snoop Dogg and Sean "Diddy" Combs.

In an interview with Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons' GlobalGrind website, Ashley Judd apologized in an attempt to quell the media frenzy surrounding her comments.

"My intention was to support artists to know that they have so much power," Ashley Judd told GlobalGrind.com. "That they make incredible life changing impressions, particularly on the young. And we have choices everyday with our expressions, we either empower and celebrate unity or to re-enforce inequality and degradation. We are either part of the problem, or part of the solution. There is no in-between."

According to Ashley, her comments were taken out of context and are only a portion of her 400-page memoir, which takes a stand against misogyny in all forms, not just in Hip-Hop music.

"My intention was to take a stand to say the elements that are misogynistic and treat girls and women in a hyper-sexualized way are inappropriate," Judd said.

"That community is incredibly important to me and to the cause of social justice," she continued. "It is filled with bad ass and brave activists whom I admire, who work under duress fighting epic discrimination."