A PR executive apologized for an offensive joke about AIDS, which many perceived as a racist slur, that she posted on her Twitter account. But it was a little too late after finding herself without a job in the aftermath of the snafu.

The fiasco started when Justine Sacco, senior director of corporate communications at IAC, tweeted on Friday: "Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just Kidding. I'm white!"

In a statement to The Star, a South African newspaper, Sacco expressed her regret over the tweet.

"Words cannot express how sorry I am, and how necessary it is for me to apologize to the people of South Africa, who I have offended due to a needless and careless tweet. There is an AIDS crisis taking place in this country, that we read about in America, but do not live with or face on a continuous basis. Unfortunately, it is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand."

Sacco, a native of South Africa, said the disease doesn't discriminate by gender, race and sexual orientation. She also said that she's "ashamed" by her comment.

She added: "This is my father's country, and I was born here. I cherish my ties to South Africa and my frequent visits, but I am in anguish knowing that my remarks have caused pain to so many people here; my family, friends and fellow South Africans. I am very sorry for the pain I caused."

The offensive tweet generated a backlash from Twitter users, who all demanded her resignation using the hashtag #HasJustineLandedYet.

IAC, in a statement on Saturday, said the PR excutive's racist slur and offensive tweet "does not reflect the views and values" of the company.

"We take this issue very seriously, and we have parted ways with the employee in question. There is no excuse for the hateful statements that have been made and we condemn them unequivocally. We hope, however, that time and action, and the forgiving human spirit, will not result in the wholesale condemnation of an individual who we have otherwise known to be a decent person at core.