(CNN)What was meant as a joke about Usain Bolt and Ellen DeGeneres swiftly went awry on Twitter.
On Monday, the daytime talk show host's official Twitter account tweeted a doctored image of Ellen riding the back of the gold medalist.
The photo is the now famous one of him smiling as he heads to winning the men's 100m race at the Olympics in Rio.
The tweet's caption from Ellen reads "This is how I'm running errands from now on."
View image on Twitter
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Ellen DeGeneres
✔@TheEllenShow
This is how I’m running errands from now on. #Rio2016
4:47 PM - 15 Aug 2016
Some on Twitter found the image less than golden, with cries of racism and insensitivity in joking about a white woman riding the back of a black man.
19h
Ellen DeGeneres
✔@TheEllenShow
This is how I’m running errands from now on. #Rio2016pic.twitter.com/gYPtG9T1ao
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dai for night @daibyday
@TheEllenShow This is so gross. Fire whoever did this.
6:34 PM - 15 Aug 2016
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Jon Snow-ratio @Jhoratio
@TheEllenShow so the first thing that pops in your head when looking at this pic is "oh let me jump onto his back like he's a common mule"?
6:11 PM - 15 Aug 2016
View image on Twitter
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Life of Starry @StarryToronto
imagine a white-man Photoshop himself riding Elaine Thompson
"@TheEllenShow how I’m running errands from now on.pic.twitter.com/jZMGd48hgk"
4:24 AM - 16 Aug 2016 · Toronto, Ontario, Canada
But others defended DeGeneres and pointed out that she and Bolt, who has appeared before on her show, are friends.
One person tweeted, "If Usain was white, y'all wouldn't care. We all know Ellen isn't racist & didn't mean any harm by that. Stop it."
https://twitter.com/SeanTheTerrible/status/765340269617217536
https://twitter.com/jekelish
On Tuesday DeGeneres responded to the controversy by tweeting "I am highly aware of the racism that exists in our country. It is the furthest thing from who I am."
The Ellen Show initially followed the first tweet with one featuring a video of Bolt's appearance on the show where Bolt raced a then 8-year-old viral video star, Demarjay Smith.
Like Bolt, Smith is Jamaican. The youngster acts as a personal trainer for other kids and told the talk show host he believed he could beat the champion in a race.
"Heres something you don't see very often-@UsainBolt losing a race. This was 1 of my favorite moments from last season," Ellen's tweet said.
what yall think? I found it funny, but I'm Jamaican
On Monday, the daytime talk show host's official Twitter account tweeted a doctored image of Ellen riding the back of the gold medalist.
The photo is the now famous one of him smiling as he heads to winning the men's 100m race at the Olympics in Rio.
The tweet's caption from Ellen reads "This is how I'm running errands from now on."
View image on Twitter
Follow
Ellen DeGeneres ✔@TheEllenShow
This is how I’m running errands from now on. #Rio2016
4:47 PM - 15 Aug 2016
- https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=765303894159208448
24,61524,615 Retweets
60,30960,309 likes
Some on Twitter found the image less than golden, with cries of racism and insensitivity in joking about a white woman riding the back of a black man.
19h
Ellen DeGeneres ✔@TheEllenShow
This is how I’m running errands from now on. #Rio2016pic.twitter.com/gYPtG9T1ao
Follow
dai for night @daibyday@TheEllenShow This is so gross. Fire whoever did this.
6:34 PM - 15 Aug 2016
Follow
Jon Snow-ratio @Jhoratio@TheEllenShow so the first thing that pops in your head when looking at this pic is "oh let me jump onto his back like he's a common mule"?
6:11 PM - 15 Aug 2016
View image on Twitter
Follow
Life of Starry @StarryTorontoimagine a white-man Photoshop himself riding Elaine Thompson
"@TheEllenShow how I’m running errands from now on.pic.twitter.com/jZMGd48hgk"
4:24 AM - 16 Aug 2016 · Toronto, Ontario, Canada
But others defended DeGeneres and pointed out that she and Bolt, who has appeared before on her show, are friends.
One person tweeted, "If Usain was white, y'all wouldn't care. We all know Ellen isn't racist & didn't mean any harm by that. Stop it."
https://twitter.com/SeanTheTerrible/status/765340269617217536
https://twitter.com/jekelish
On Tuesday DeGeneres responded to the controversy by tweeting "I am highly aware of the racism that exists in our country. It is the furthest thing from who I am."
The Ellen Show initially followed the first tweet with one featuring a video of Bolt's appearance on the show where Bolt raced a then 8-year-old viral video star, Demarjay Smith.
Like Bolt, Smith is Jamaican. The youngster acts as a personal trainer for other kids and told the talk show host he believed he could beat the champion in a race.
"Heres something you don't see very often-@UsainBolt losing a race. This was 1 of my favorite moments from last season," Ellen's tweet said.
what yall think? I found it funny, but I'm Jamaican
smh 
