Giuliana Rancic made headlines for saying Zendaya’s dreadlocks must have smelled of “patchouli” or “weed” in the post-Oscars Fashion Police special, and the E! personality is now being forced to apologize for her insensitive remark. Rancic said on-air on Thursday that the incident has been a “learning experience” for her, and promised that she will start to pay more consideration to clichés and stereotypes on the show.

Rancic was seemingly trying to channel her inner Joan Rivers when she made the comment about Zendaya’s Oscars hairstyle, as fans used to praise the deceased former Fashion Police host for her acidic, occassionaly mean jokes about celebrity red carpet looks. However, even Rivers’s daughter Melissa, who is an executive producer on the show, showed her support for Zendaya on Instagram on Thursday by posting a photo of her mother with the Disney star.

“She was trying to say something cool and edgy and sort of controversial where it could create a moment on set for that second,” an E! insider told PEOPLE. “She definitely didn’t want it to be the kind of moment it turned into.”

After critics bashed Rancic for the racially-insensitive joke, the network forced her to make an on-air apology to Zendaya.

“I want to say to Zendaya, and anyone else out there that I have hurt, that I am so, so sincerely sorry. This really has been a learning experience for me,” said Rancic. “I’ve learned a lot today, and this incident has taught me to be a lot more aware of clichés and stereotypes, how much damage they can do – and that I am responsible, as we all are, to not perpetuate them further.”

Rancic likely will not be subject to any further punishment by E!, as the network won’t be taping any more Fashion Police specials for several weeks, allowing the controversy to blow over.