Kelly Clarkson has accused American Idol of misleading her about the prizes she was supposed to receive after winning the show's inaugural season. The singer, now 43, made the comments during a segment on her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, on Tuesday.
Speaking with guest Rob Rausch, who said he had not yet received his $220,800 prize from winning The Traitors, Clarkson said: 'I relate to this so hard core, because whenever I won... they were like, “Oh, you win $1 million dollars or whatever.” No, you didn’t. They lied.' She explained that the winnings were not cash but rather 'a $1 million worth of investment in you.'
Clarkson also claimed she was promised a car, which she needed at the time because her own vehicle was damaged and she could not afford the deductible. 'And no! I did not get a car,' she said, adding that she later learned that season two runner-up Clay Aiken and his mother had both been given cars by the show.
Despite the disappointment, Clarkson credited American Idol for launching her career. In 2022, she marked the 20th anniversary of her win, writing on Instagram that the moment 'forever changed the course of my life.' Since then, she has won three Grammy Awards and topped the Billboard Hot 100 three times.
Clarkson recently announced that her talk show will end after its current season, stating she wants to prioritise her children. She said she will continue making music and may appear on The Voice occasionally.
