SHAPE MAGAZINE APOLOGIZES FOR PUTTING HOMEWRECKER LeANNE RIMES ON THEIR COVER!

The editor-in-chief of Shape magazine is apologizing to readers after its October issue featuring LeAnn Rimes sparked outrage.
The cover, which shows Rimes in a red bikini with the headline "LeAnn Rimes: How Working Out Saved Me," prompted readers to complain that the publication was supporting a woman who cheated on her husband, Dean Sheremet, and broke up actor Eddie Cirbian's marriage.

The article itself featured an interview with Rimes, where she said she understood "why people are disappointed in me, especially since I grew up as America's Sweetheart."

Rimes, 28, further explained how exactly her marriage to Sheremet fell apart and acknowledged that "any relationship is hard to get out of, and I don't think the way I did it was right."

Shape was accused of portraying Rimes as a sympathetic victim, when many saw her as an unforgivable adulterer.

Now, nearly one month after the issue came out, the mag's editor-in-chief, Valerie Latona, has issued an apology, according to an e-mail sent to some readers and obtained by TooFab.com.

"You are all in good company (why I'm e-mailing you all together) as you all agree Shape has made a terrible mistake in putting LeAnn Rimes on the cover," the note began.

"Please know that our putting her on the cover was not meant to put a husband-stealer on a pedestal-but to show (through her story) how we all are human," Latona explained. "And this woman in particular found strength in exercise in what she said was her most difficult personal moment."

"But it did not come across that way ... And for that I'm terribly sorry," she wrote.

The e-mailed concluded, "I hope that we can do better the next time for those of you that will give us another chance."

But it remains to be seen whether Rimes herself will give the women's mag another chance. The singer appeared to be caught off-guard by the apology, writing to a fan on Twitter, "wow, that's really funny since they're are [sic] throwing me a party in LA next week to celebrate this being the 3rd time I've been on their cover."


Rimes followed up with two more tweets, one of which linked to an image of the party’s invitation.

"Just so all my fans know, I'm getting to the bottom of this. It's the first I've heard of this," she wrote. "Shape is throwing me a party next week as a thank you and a congrats for being on their cover for the 3rd time. I find this very contradictory. I love you all!!"