Amy Schumer defends Formation video after racism backlash: 'It was us women celebrating each other'

Following widespread criticism, Amy Schumer has defended her Formation video. In an essay entitled Information About My Formation, the comedienne insisted her tribute was not a parody but a celebration of all women.

Filmed on location, the star-studded video features some of Schumer's celebrity friends including Goldie Hawn and Wanda Sykes lip-syncing and dancing to the Black Lives Matter anthem. Following its release she was accused of cultural appropriation and trivialising the struggles of the black community. The #AmySchumerGottaGoParty also started trending on Twitter.

The 35-year-old said she was "horrified and sickened" by the events addressed in Beyoncé's political-charged video and would never undermine its significance.

"The video Beyoncé made was so moving and I wouldn't ever make fun of that," she said in the open letter. "There is absolutely no way to. I make fun of myself a few times in the video as I do in everything I am a part of. I loved every second of working with those women to make this thing that lifted us up."

She continued: Lemonade brought us all together. We listened to the album and danced every day, always making everyone feel better no matter what we were going through. We were so into it that we learned the dance to Formation. It got us through this summer."

Schumer said that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was the inspiration for the video. "We would rush back to our televisions or phones to watch a stream of CNN to see the convention and watch Hillary and Michelle and so many extraordinary women speak. All of the women on set were bonded together from this music and from the election simultaneously. It was such a powerful time."

The Saturday Night Live favourite also reiterated that Beyonce had given her blessing for the video writing: "Of course I had Beyoncé and Jay Z's approval. They released it on Tidal exclusively for the first 24 hours."

"I love how in the lyrics of Formation Beyoncé is telling us to get in formation," she writes. "And also I like to think she is telling us ladies to get information. I did not mean to detract any of the meaning from the video." She goes on to stress her saying "I am of course by the events that are addressed throughout that video and didn't see this as minimizing that and still don't."

Watch Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer Get In Formation here: