Carrie Underwood’s performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration reportedly impacted her work on the set of American Idol. Twenty years after her American Idol win, Carrie Underwood has joined the show as a judge. The new season premiered on Sunday, March 9, less than two months after the country singer’s controversial inauguration performance.
During her performance of “America the Beautiful” at Trump’s inauguration, Carrie faced technical difficulties and had to perform a capella. Previously, sources alleged that Carrie was “furious” about how the performance turned out. The performance reportedly “wasn’t what she wanted it to be” and left her feeling “dissatisfied.”
Now, a source claims that it also impacted the way she has interacted with American Idol crew members. Per The U.S. Sun, Carrie seemed “distant from the rest of the crew” when filming Hollywood Week shortly after the performance. Apparently, crew members were even told to “not bring up the inauguration under any circumstances.” However, the insider clarified that the request did not come from Carrie herself, and that she has been “polite” and “very kind” on the American Idol set.
Carrie Underwood’s decision to perform at Trump’s inauguration was a controversial one. When asked about Carrie’s performance during a recent interview with The Wrap, American Idol showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick said “that was her decision.”
Megan went on to point out that Katy Perry, who was an American Idol judge for several years, also performed at a presidential inauguration, singing her song “Firework” when President Joe Biden was elected.
“Isn’t that great that two American Idol judges sang at the last two inaugurations?” Megan said.
Megan also praised Carrie for how she dealt with the technical difficulties during her performance. “She held her own, and she remained cool, calm and collected, and I think a lot of that has to do with Idol and all of her live experience, starting at a young age, being on live television.”
The Independent previously reported that Carrie Underwood’s streaming numbers declined after her inauguration performance.
