LOS ANGELES, United States – Singer Tinashe has stunned fans after declaring she is not Zimbabwean.

The 26-year-old R&B star was born in Lexington, Kentucky, to a Zimbabwean father and a Norwegian mother.

The singer, born Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe, was asked by a fan during a question and answer session on Twitter if “it’s true you’re from Zimbabwe?”

Tinashe, who has won a few music awards in Zimbabwe, replied: “My dad is!”

Under Zimbabwean law, Tinashe is a Zimbabwean citizen by descent by virtue of her father, Michael, being a Zimbabwean citizen. She also acquired automatic United States citizenship by being born in the United States.

The first born of three children, it is not known if Tinashe or her siblings Thulani and Kudzai have ever been to Zimbabwe, although their Zimbabwean names point to a father very proud of his roots.

After coming under some criticism from some Zimbabweans who thought she was ashamed of admitting links to the troubled country, some fans sprung to her defence.

“The point is people really admire her being a Zimbabwean who made it to the top. Unfortunately, she didn’t start from the bottom (Zimbabwe),” said @TaffiArnold.

Tinashe was forced to address the subject a second time, after being branded “dull” for failing to recognise that “if your dad is Zimbabwean it just means you are Zimbabwean by descent.”

“Right, and they asked me if I was from Zim not if I was of Zimbabwean descent. Y’all don’t even make sense, lol, mad for no reason,” Tinashe said in response to @WinstonPromise.