Hannah Brown lambasted on Instagram for "insensitive" COVID-19 caption

ABC/Eric McCandless(LOS ANGELES) -- Bachelorette star Hannah Brown is learning the price that comes with fame, which is increased scrutiny over everything she does.  Case in point: her latest Instagram caption stirred a major controversy.

On Friday, the Dancing with the Stars champ posted a seemingly innocent bikini shot where she is flashing a gorgeous smile.  The photos, however, weren't the spark that ignited the Internet's collective ire.  It was her caption, which would have been considered somewhat normal had it been posted a few weeks ago.

"What’s more contagious than a smile," Brown cheerfully wrote -- triggering a mass calling out by concerned and, often, angry fans who labeled her words as "insensitive."

While some commentators mentioned that COVID-19 is definitely more contagious than a smile at this point in time, others chided the reality star for not taking this pandemic as seriously as other celebrities. 

One fan begged the 25-year-old to "Please think about others and not just yourself." 

Some also slammed Hannah for continuing to post TikTok videos of her gathering with friends, an activity the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has strongly discouraged to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 virus.

Brown and Bachelorette runner-up Tyler Cameron reunited following his mother's sudden death and have been posting videos together with friends under the name @thequarantinecrew.  Their recent "Flip the Switch" video went viral and featured the cheeky caption, "BREAKING: Tyler finally got into Hannah’s pants."

Following the intense online backlash, Brown amended her original caption and clarified that she was "Just trying to spread some love here rather than fear, not making light of the situation."

As of Sunday, the U.S. has reported 33,276 cases of COVID-19 and 417 deaths.

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