ENTERTAINMENT

LeAnn Rimes comes under fire for rape joke

BANG Showbiz Published Thursday, August 28, 2014 10:09AM EDT

LeAnn Rimes performs at the Friend Movement Anti-Bullying Benefit Concert at the El Rey Theatre, in Los Angeles on July 1, 2013. (Invision / John Shearer)

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LeAnn Rimes has come under fire for making a rape joke.

The 32-year-old singer -- who is married to actor Eddie Cibrian -- crassly quipped that she lost her virginity by raping her then-boyfriend in a new interview and, unsurprisingly, the controversial star has faced a torrent of abuse over her tasteless comment.

LeAnn was quizzed about her first sexual encounter by Joan Rivers on her internet talk show series, 'In Bed with Joan', and responded: "I was in Monte Carlo and I was 15? I know, it's kind of a bulls**t story. I was 16. There you go."

Pressed further if the experience was "nice" or "bad", the country crooner said: "Well, he was my boyfriend for like three-and-a-half years. He was fine. I think I raped him. I think that's how it happened."

The 'How Do I Live' songstress -- who earlier in the interview joked that her drink may have been spiked -- has been heavily criticised on social media since the interview was released earlier this week.

One outraged Twitter user wrote: "Really @leannrimes a rape and roofies joke? Classy."

Another user felt LeAnn was trying to create controversy to pull in viewers for her an Eddie's VH1 reality show.

They wrote: "If you didn't know how much of a low life @leannrimes is, using RAPE to try to get someone to watch her show should convince you. #Ignore (sic)"