Did Gwyneth Paltrow's 'Ni**as in Paris' Tweet Cross a Line?

Gwyneth Paltrow ignited some serious N-word controversy over the weekend. The actress tweeted a picture of herself onstage with Jay-Z and Kanye West in Paris with the message, "Ni**as in paris for real." The posting quickly became a lightning rod for debate after many took issue with her use of the N-word in a tweet—even in asterisks, and even though, as Gwyn pointed out, it's the name of Jay and 'Ye's song, which they played a record 11 times that night.

Given her well-publicized friendship with Beyonce and Jay-Z, and the fact that The-Dream came to her defense, it's hard to argue Gwyn intended any disrespect. Most of her detractors are taking umbrage with her nonchalant use of the word, interpreting the actress' cavalier attitude toward its use as being disrespectful in itself.

Anything involving the N-word is obviously touchy, especially if it's said or written (even with asterisks) by someone not of African descent. The question is: Did Gwyn cross a line?