Cameron Diaz thought she was just being trendy when she brought along her Maoist hand bag during an excursion to the ruins of Machu Picchu in the mountains of Peru. The olive green bag she carried was emblazoned with a red star and the words "Serve the People" printed in Chinese.

Diaz thought the bag was little more than a fashionable accessory, but what she didn't realize is that Mao was the inspiration for the "Shining Path" insurgency that battled with the Peruvian government throughout the 80s and into the 90s, leaving over 70,000 dead and severely injuring the country's collective psyche.

"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," Diaz said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press.

Maybe next time, she and other starlets will think twice about sporting politically inspired fashion while abroad.