BRITISH PERFUME BRAND Jo Malone has apologised to black actor John Boyega after cutting him out of the Chinese version of an aftershave advert he helped create.

Jo Malone London said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that the ad, which was designed for Chinese audiences, was a misstep and has been removed.

The recreated ad – which originally featured Boyega walking around the Peckham area of London he grew up in – replaced the Star Wars actor with Chinese star Liu Haoran.

In a statement provided to the US website, Jo Malone said: “We deeply apologise for what, on our end, was a mistake in the local execution of the John Boyega campaign.

“John is a tremendous artist with great personal vision and direction. The concept for the film was based on John’s personal experiences and should not have been replicated.”

Boyega and his representatives also could not be reached for comment.