LeAnn Rimes is facing a torrent of backlash after tastelessly joking that she lost her virginity by raping her ex-boyfriend.

The 32-year-old singer - who is married to actor Eddie Cibrian - crassly quipped that she lost her virginity by raping her then-boyfriend in a new interview and, unsurprisingly, the controversial star has faced a torrent of abuse over her tasteless comment.

LeAnn was quizzed about her first sexual encounter by Joan Rivers on her internet talk show series, 'In Bed with Joan', and responded: ''I was in Monte Carlo and I was 15? I know, it's kind of a bulls**t story. I was 16. There you go.'' Pressed further if the experience was ''nice'' or ''bad'', the country crooner said: ''Well, he was my boyfriend for like three-and-a-half years.

He was fine. I think I raped him. I think that's how it happened.'' The 'How Do I Live' songstress - who earlier in the interview joked that her drink may have been spiked - has been heavily criticised on social media since the interview was released earlier this week. One outraged Twitter user wrote: ''Really @leannrimes a rape and roofies joke? Classy.''

Another user felt LeAnn was trying to create controversy to pull in viewers for her an Eddie's VH1 reality show. They wrote: ''If you didn't know how much of a low life @leannrimes is, using RAPE to try to get someone to watch her show should convince you. #Ignore (sic)''