Barbra Streisand 'forgot the world is reading' when she asked Melissa McCarthy if she took Ozempic | CNN

Barbra Streisand is addressing a divisive comment she wrote under a photo that actor Melissa McCarthy posted on her Instagram page on Monday.

In the comment, Streisand asked McCarthy if she took Ozempic - a popular weight loss medication, among its other functions - spurring backlash online.

In a statement posted to her social media on Tuesday, Streisand wrote that she initially opened up her Instagram to look at photos of the "beautiful flowers" she'd received for her birthday last week.

"Below them was a photo of my friend Melissa McCarthy who I sang with on my Encore album," she wrote. "She looked fantastic! I just wanted to pay her a compliment. I forgot the world is reading!"

CNN has reached out to representatives for McCarthy and Streisand for comment.

In the photo, McCarthy posed with director Adam Shankman at the Center Theater Group Gala that they attended together over the weekend.

"Give him my regards did you take Ozempic?" Streisand's original comment, which has since been deleted, read.

Streisand's question about Ozempic sparked discourse in the comments section, with many users coming to McCarthy's defense.

Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, Ozempic and other similar medications have become popular for the dramatic weight loss they can help people achieve.

Ozempic is a brand name for the generic drug semaglutide, and is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat diabetes. The most common side effects of the drug include headaches and gastrointestinal issues.