Kaley Cuoco: 'I am a proud American, today, tomorrow, always'

Kaley Cuoco has apologised after she was accused of disrespecting the American flag. The Big Bang Theory actress came under fire after she posted a picture on her Instagram account of her dogs sitting on an American flag on memorial day.

The picture caption read: "Thank you @the__pet__handler for taking care of the squad while I'm out of town. 4th of July pups!"

The image which was deemed by many to be "disrespectful" sparked outrage on social media. 400 people commented on the controversial image. One wrote: "Showing disrespect for the flag, it should never touch the ground, or let your pet stand on it!" Fans of the TV star defended her, saying it was not intentionally disrespectful.

The image has since been deleted. Addressing the matter head on, Kuoco publicly apologised for the "mistake."

"I would like to comment on a photo I posted yesterday , that has caused lots of controversy. First off, please know, I have the utmost respect for my country. I am a proud American in every sense of the word. I understand the American flag stands for our freedom and represents American heroes , past and present.'

"'Yesterday I made a mistake by posting the picture that was taken of my sweet dogs posing on an American flag. I sincerely apologize to anyone that has been offended by my previous post.

"This is no way reflects my feelings toward what the American flag represents," she continued. "Living in the public eye, can be extremely difficult at times. Every mistake and every imperfection is amplified. I am not perfect."

"I am a proud American, today, tomorrow, always," she stated, accompanying the apology with an image of a heart-shaped American flag.

According to TIME magazine, the image violated the U.S. government's guide to displaying the American flag, which states, "the flag should never touch anything beneath it such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise."