LONDON: Editors at British magazine Pride have apologised to actress Nia Long for "manipulating" comments she made about BEYONCE KNOWLES' acting skills.

Long reportedly took aim at Beyonce as part of a rant about musicians who make movies, stating, "If you're a singer, not an actress, you should sing. If you're a rapper, you should rap."

And she appeared to suggest the former Destiny's Child star should take acting lessons, when asked to comment on the singer's recent film Obsessed.

Long told the magazine, "I didn't see Obsessed, so I can’t comment, but it's just not about how talented you are anymore. It's about, 'How much box-office revenue will this person generate.'

"When you see certain people... they just don't have the skill, and no one in their team has said, 'You need acting classes.'"

That was two weeks ago and now Pride editors are keen to clear the air over the article.

A magazine statement reads, "Pride would like to apologise for the fact that editing of the final article may have left Nia’s comments open to tabloid manipulation.

"As Europe’s premier publication for the woman of colour, Pride seeks only to celebrate the achievements of celebrities such as Nia Long and Beyonce Knowles, and hope no offence has been caused through the media speculation."