Molly Longman

mlongman@dmreg.com

Shawn Johnson East found herself apologizing on Twitter on Saturday after posting an April Fools' Day joke that received just as much anger as atta-babies.

The central Iowa native and Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast posted a picture of herself with a baby bump on social media, writing: "Hey guys.... soooo @andrewdeast and I thought it was about time we told you!!!!!!!! ... I love you babe!" with the hashtag, #babyonboard.

Fans and followers had mixed responses to the post.

Some commented offering their sincere congratulations, while others were critical of the Dancing with the Stars champion for joking about a topic that can be painful for women with fertility issues.

Hours after the post went live on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Johnson took to Twitter to apologize. She explained that she tried on a movie prop that made her look pregnant in the photo.

"My sincerest apologies," Johnson said. "I never meant to target, offend, or come across as insensitive. I tried on a movie prop. Please forgive."