March 21, 2007 10:16

Producer apologises to Christina Aguilera and Joss Stone

Dallas Austin backs down over 'songs for sex' accusations

Producer Dallas Austin has apologised to Christina Aguilera and Joss Stone after making lewd comments about them.

Footage of Austin saying the singers slept with producers in exchange for songs was posted on YouTube.com, but was later taken down.

Yesterday (March 20) Austin issued a statement apologising for his outburst.

“My statement about Christina Aguilera and Joss Stone was a reaction to an incident I care not to discuss in any forum and while I may have felt justified, I do own an apology to Christina,Joss and their families," he wrote.

“The comment I made… were purely an act of retaliation not of malice or cruel intent…I sincerely apologise as this is not my character nor should I have let anyon’e actions push me to this limit.”

Meanwhile Aguilera’s representative Cindy Guagenti said: “She’s not commenting on such ridiculous statements, and we are consulting a lawyer to explore her options.”

Stone has yet to respond, reports Access Atlanta.