Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder apologise for controversial birth control remarks

Celebrity couple Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder have issued an apology after causing controversy with remarks about birth control.

Twilight star Reed and her actor husband Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries) had appeared on the podcast Dr. Berlin's Informed Pregnancy where the former revealed she realised her husband wanted a baby when he threw out her birth control pills without telling her.

The couple has issued a public statement via their respective social media accounts stating they are “...deeply sorry” for the comments.

“To anyone who has been affected by reproductive coercion, we are deeply sorry. That is an extremely serious issue, and women’s rights is something that is incredibly important to both of us. It is something we’ve been very vocal about, and something that is very close to our hearts.”

The apology continued: “We never expected a lighthearted interview we did poking fun at EACH OTHER and how We chose together to get pregnant... to turn into something representing a very serious matter [sic].

“However, if this somehow sheds light on a topic that definitely needs mainstream attention, then we are grateful for the unintended consequence.”

You can read the full apology below.

Singer-songwriter Reed's other credits include Thirteen (2003) and TV series Sleepy Hollow. Somerhalder shot to stardom after playing Boone Carlyle in smash hit TV series Lost in 2004. They welcomed their first child, Bodhi Soleil, on 25 July 2017.