AceShowbiz - Rachel Griffiths has apologised after sharing a "shallow" Instagram post about getting a manicure amid America's Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd.

The 51-year-old actress and director took to the social media site on Tuesday, June 3, 2020 - which, incidentally, was also Blackout Tuesday, where people stopped posting on sites such as Instagram and Facebook to show support for the BLM movement - to share a snap of her hand getting pampered at a nail salon.

"Shallow I know ... America is burning people are dying ... but still it just seems easier on the soul to watch all this happening with beautiful nails," she wrote alongside it.

"And judging by the line of desperate ladies I am not alone. Shallow people we are but I need to share this important covid update. The manicurists are open!!! Tip generously as they had had not (sic) income since covid lockdown."

But following her post, Rachel was widely slammed for her decision to post amid the headline-grabbing protests, with one labelling her actions "disgusting" while another called the post "shamelessly pathetic."

Responding to the backlash, Rachel deleted her original post and returned to the site to apologise.

"The last few days have been wrenching," she wrote. "My post early today leant away from that pain but I understand in doing so it pained others who can't look away from what's happening - can't turn off and check out because it is their lives - their brothers their sisters their children."

Insisting she hadn't meant to "triviliase" (sic) the matters at hand, but rather "just escape it," Rachel continued, "I am sorry . I am sorry that I got this so wrong today. I am sorry that I abdicated any meaningful sense making of what is happening this week and has been happening for centuries."

Thanking those who "called her out," Rachel concluded, "I have along way to go to truly understand my white b**ch privilege."