Cameron Diaz and her Maoist Bag

The Wrong Bag

During a stop to the Inca ruins on June 22, 2007, the Shrek star was spotted by press photographers carrying a green military-style bag imprinted with a red star and the saying, "Serve the People" printed in Chinese. That was obviously a no-no, because this was a famous political slogan of former Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong.

According to ABC News, the Maoist Shining Path insurgency killed nearly 70,000 Peruvians during the 1980s and 1990s, nearly bringing Peru into a total collapse.

Cameron Diaz Apologizes

In some places in the world, Diaz' bag would be considered a fashion accessory, but unfortunately, Peru is not one of them. Many migrant workers are Chinese and the language is widely read and spoken there.

In a statement released June 24, 2007, she said, "I sincerely apologize to anyone I may have inadvertently offended. The bag was a purchase I made as a tourist in China and I did not realize the potentially hurtful nature of the slogan printed on it. I'm sorry for any people's pain and suffering and it was certainly never my intention to reopen what I now know is a painful wound in this country's history."

ABC News added that a prominent Peruvian human rights activist said Cameron Diaz should have been more careful and sensitive. The actress was in South America to participate in a TV show celebrating Peru's culture.