Gap is pulling the unexpectedly controversial ad for Ellen DeGeneres' collaboration with the retailer, GapKids x ED. The ad, which stars four girls from a youth circus group, has been called passively racist by scores of Twitter users since the image debuted over the weekend.The retailer announced on Monday that the image (one of numerous shots featured in the campaign) would be replaced in response to the deluge of critical feedback.Le Petite Cirque's founder, Nathalie Yves Gaulthier, released a statement on Facebook today about the situation. "The child in the ad is not an 'armrest,' she's the other girl's little sister, they are a very close family," Gaulthier writes. "The child is a very young Jr member with Le Petite Cirque, a humanitarian cirque company, and therefore a wee shier than the more seasoned older, outgoing girls. Our company is deeply saddened by some people misconstruing this as racist." Gaulthier also voiced her support of Gap Kids and DeGeneres in the post."As a brand with a proud 46-year history of championing diversity and inclusivity, we appreciate the conversation that has taken place and are sorry to anyone we’ve offended," a Gap spokeswoman said in a statement, according to ABC News . "This GapKids campaign highlights true stories of talented girls who are celebrating creative self-expression and sharing their messages of empowerment. We are replacing the image with a different shot from the campaign, which encourages girls (and boys) everywhere to be themselves and feel pride in what makes them unique."Originally published on April 3, 2016.