In the wake of the social media backlash she created after comments about Bruce Jenner “playing at being a woman”, Alice Eve has apologised and sought to clarify her position.

In a statement released to People magazine on Tuesday, the 28 year old British actress wrote: “I deeply apologize for offending anyone. I support equal rights and equal dignity for all. I have deep compassion and support for Bruce Jenner.”

“My intention was not to offend,” the statement continued. “My intention was simply to express that, with the overdue and welcome acceptance of us all living on a gender spectrum, we must encourage equality for all.”

The Star Trek: Into Darkness actress came under fire after she made comments in a now-deleted Instagram post following Jenner’s in-depth ‘20/20’ interview with Diane Sawyer on Friday evening, in which he revealed that he was in the process of transitioning into a woman.

Alice EveAlice Eve caused controversy over her comments about Bruce Jenner 

According to the Daily Mail, Eve had written that if Jenner were assigned female at birth, “no one would have even heard of you because women can't compete in the decathlon” and “would be a frustrated young athlete who wasn't given a chance.” This was a reference to Jenner’s gold medal victory at the 1976 Summer Olympics that made him famous.

More: Alice Eve suffers social media backlash after saying Bruce Jenner is ‘playing at being a woman’

“Until women are paid the same as men, then playing at being a “woman” while retaining the benefits of being a man is unfair,” she added. “Do you have a vagina? Are you paid less than men? Then, my friend, you are a woman.”

As a result, she was accused of transphobia by commenters, and of a misguided attempt at promoting feminism by ignoring intersectionality. In a further Instagram post which is still up, in which she attempted to defend herself to her critics, Eve wrote “I do agree that the struggle for transgenders is unique and horrific.”

“However, I do want to also support a cause I strongly believe in, the right for women to have equal rights to men. The transgender equality struggle is the next one, as we all know. And very real it is, too.”

Finally, she said: “Thank you for engaging with me on this subject, because I felt confused and now I feel enlightened and like I know the education I need to move forward. I appreciated the time and thought.”

More: Alice Eve marries her childhood sweetheart Alex Cowper-Smith