Mandy Moore says Ryan Adams should have apologised privately to those he is accused of abusing.

The 45-year-old musician - who was accused by his ex-wife Mandy, former fiancee Megan Butterworth and former flame Phoebe Bridgers amongst other women - issued an apology via DailyMail.com over the weekend but Mandy can't understand why he wouldn't say sorry privately.

Speaking on the 'Today' show, Mandy, 36, said: ''You know it's challenging because I feel like in many ways I've said all I want to say about him and that situation, but I find it curious that someone would make a public apology but not do it privately.

''Speaking for myself, I've not heard from him. I'm not looking for an apology necessarily, but l do find it curious that someone would do an interview about it without actually making amends privately.''

Last year, Ryan was the subject of an expose by the New York Times newspaper, where it was claimed by a number of women that he had been controlling and emotionally abusive.

One account came from a woman who had allegedly received sexually-explicit messages from the star when she was underage.

In his letter of apology, Ryan did not specifically name any of his accusers but said: ''In my effort to be a better man, I have fought to get sober, but this time I'm doing it with professional help. Sobriety is a priority in my life, and so is my mental health. These, as I'm learning, go hand in hand.

''There are no words to express how bad I feel about the ways I've mistreated people throughout my life and career. All I can say is that I'm sorry. It's that simple. This period of isolation and reflection made me see that I needed to make significant changes in my life.''