Cynthia Erivo apologises after forgetting lyrics to US national anthem

British actress and singer Cynthia Erivo has apologised after she forgot the words to the US national anthem at a basketball game.

Erivo, who has starred in Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale, was asked to perform at the the Nets vs. Lakers game in New York on Tuesday night.

But the 31-year-old star stumbled over the words as she struggled to remember the lyrics to Star Spangled Banner before stopping altogether to regain her composure.

She then started from the beginning as the crowd applauded her efforts.

Erivo apologised for the mishap, telling fans she was “nervous and tired”.

She tweeted: “Some people have quiet mess ups, some people mess in front of the world. I’m human and I mess up in the same way as everyone else, so if you were watching tonight, I’m sorry, I was nervous and tired.

“I strive for perfection, so right now no one can beat me up more than myself.”

She later responded to a fan who reached out to support her, posting: “Thank you so much. My entire body was shaking and nerves just took hold!!”

Erivo’s performance was defended online by fans including Josh Gaad who posted: “You’re perfect in every way shape and form.”

Tony Award nominee Emilio Sosa simply tweeted a red love heart.

Erivo is a Grammy and Tony Award-winning musician, having starred as Celie in the 2015 Broadway revival of The Colour Purple.

Erivo recently starred in Steve McQueen's heist movie Widows. Hours before performing at the NBA game in New York, she announced she had signed with Verve Record and plans to record a new album in 2019.