Jo Malone apologises to John Boyega after cutting him from ad

British perfume brand Jo Malone has apologised to actor John Boyega after cutting him out of the Chinese version of an ad he helped create.

In a statement to the Hollywood reporter, Jo Malone said that the ad, which had been re-designed for Chinese audiences, was a misstep and has since been removed.

The original ad saw Boyega walking around Peckham, the area of London he grew up in. However, in the recreated version the Star Wars actor had been replaced by Chinese star Liu Haoran.

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.”

The company also said that it recognised "this was painful and offence was caused", adding: "We respect John, and support our partners and fans globally. We are taking this misstep very seriously and we are working together as a brand to do better moving forward."

It doesn't represent the first time Boyega has been removed from a Chinese-based ad.

In the build up to 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', despite playing a leading role, some Chinese posters either diminished his presence or removed it entirely.

An outspoken member of the Black Lives Matter movement, Boyega has spoken about how racism exists in Hollywood.

He mentioned how black characters have previously "been pushed to the side" in the Star Wars franchise.