Chris Brown shuts down Instagram account after Jesus outrage

Chris Brown has reportedly shut down his profile on picture sharing website Instagram after coming under fire for comparing himself to Jesus Christ online.

The Kiss Kiss hitmaker appeared to comment on his alleged altercation with fellow singer Frank Ocean on Sunday by uploading a picture of a painting depicting Jesus on the cross, along with the caption, "Painting the way I feel today. Focus on what matters!"

The move prompted a storm of criticism from his followers on the site, which links up to a user's account on Twitter.com, prompting Brown to reply, "Social media takes away the essence of why we are even special or icons. So with that, I'm detaching myself from that world."

Users trying to access his account are now unable to view the page, which has been replaced with the message, "The user deleted his/her profile".

Brown previously shut down his Twitter.com account last November after becoming embroiled in a foul-mouthed argument with a female comedy writer.