Why Carrie Underwood is staying silent amid new backlash

Carrie Underwood has faced scrutiny before, but this time she chooses silence.

A year after her controversial inauguration performance and amid renewed criticism from another Hollywood star, the country singer is deliberately staying out of the conversation.

Insiders say his restraint is strategic, shaped by past backlash, professional priorities and hard-won public policy lessons.

When Carrie Underwood agreed to perform at President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the reaction was swift and deeply divided.

Many longtime fans questioned her political stance after she sang “America the Beautiful,” while critics accused her of aligning with a divisive moment.

Although the performance took place a year ago, the controversy surrounding it never really went away.

The latest wave of criticism erupted after Underwood appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” alongside his “American Idol” co-judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie to promote the show’s upcoming season.

The appearance reignited anger in some corners of Hollywood, reopening wounds that Underwood had worked hard to overcome.

Despite months of scrutiny, she refused to directly respond to new backlash, including harsh criticism from actress Nancy Lee Grahn.

According to sources, Underwood believes a public response would only inflame the situation rather than resolve it.

The feud intensified when “General Hospital” star Nancy Lee Grahn took to social media with a blunt statement.

Write on Topicssaid the outspoken actress: “I refuse to even watch @carrieunderwood.”

The post quickly gained traction, attracting attention from fans and media.

Grahn later clarified his position as media coverage increased. “I LOVE Jimmy Kimmel and watch him every night. I would never ‘slam’ him. I just said I would watch him next week because I didn’t want to watch Carrie Underwood (for obvious reasons) who was his guest that night,” she wrote. The explosiondoubling down on his criticism.

Even though these comments made headlines, Underwood chose not to engage.

An insider told the Daily Mail that the singer will not respond “because she knows that it would quickly turn against her”.

According to those close to him, remaining silent is not an avoidance, but a calculated decision informed by experience.

Although Underwood rarely discusses politics publicly, she released a statement at the time of the inauguration explaining her reasoning.

Talk to PEOPLEthe singer said she was “honored” to be “a small part” of the event and stressed that “we all need to come together in the spirit of unity.”

She expanded on this message by saying: “I love our country and I am honored to have been invited to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. »

She added: “I am honored to answer this call at a time when we must all come together in a spirit of unity and look to the future. »

Despite these remarks, critics dissected every moment of his appearance.

Social media users accused her of snubbing then-Vice President Kamala Harris while shaking hands with President Donald Trump and newly sworn-in Vice President JD Vance, fueling further speculation about her political leanings.

According to inside sources, Underwood now believes there is no benefit to publicly engaging in political debates.

Instead, she’s focused on her busy schedule, which includes filming “American Idol” and continuing her role as the voice of “Sunday Night Football.”

“Carrie has American Idol to worry about, and being the voice of the NFL on Sunday night, and she’s also worried about losing her fan base, some of whom are very pro MAGA,” the source explained.

The insider added, “She received a huge backlash following Trump’s inauguration,” noting that Underwood “weathered that storm and was able to come out relatively unscathed.”

The fallout was intense as some former fans called for its cancellation, while others threatened to boycott “American Idol.”

Further speculation claimed that her performance was an attempt to compete with Taylor Swift’s patriotic image, with one source claiming that Underwood was “marking her territory as ‘Miss Americana'”.