Jennifer Lopez apologized for the upset following her performance for the President of Turkmenistan on June 29.

The singer performed "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to what many have deemed a leader of extreme repression. The event was hosted by the China National Petroleum Corp and in attendance was President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who was celebrating his 56th birthday.

The former Soviet bloc country, Turkmenistan earned a reputation for its controversial and deemed by many severe human rights record and oil reserves that have fueled its leaders' personal extravagance. In a report to the U.N. Human Rights Committee, the Human Rights Watch described the severe circumstances in Turkmenistan to be "widely recognized as one of the most repressive in the world, the Turkmen government exercises total control of public life." The report showed Media and religious freedoms are subject to harsh restrictions, and human rights defenders and other activists face the constant threat of government retaliation

Lopez apologized for the performance and pleaded ignorance to issues going on within the country. The spokesperson for Lopez said, "had there been knowledge of human right issues of any kind, Jennifer would not have attended."

The non-political event encompassed several music artists. However, it was Lopez that was approached by The China National Petroleum Corporation to send out a special "birthday greeting" to the Turkmenistan dictator. When asked to perform just moments before stepping onto the stage, she "graciously obliged," the statement said.

Thor Halvorssen of the Human Rights Foundation told The Hollywood Reporter: "Lopez obviously has the right to earn a living performing for the dictator of her choice and his circle of cronies. But her actions utterly destroy the carefully crafted message she has cultivated with her prior involvement with Amnesty International's programs in Mexico aimed at curbing violence against women."

Lopez has no upcoming scheduled performances in Turkmenistan.