Carrie Underwood, who is known as the “inauguration day diva,” reportedly became “furious” and had a “mini hissy fit” after her performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration didn’t go as planned, according to an insider.
Along with the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club, country music icon Carrie Underwood performed “America the Beautiful” on January 20 at the largest stage in the world in Washington, D.C.
But the performance didn’t go as expected. The former American Idol contestant had to make quick decisions when the accompanying music stopped playing, transforming an awkward circumstance into a feat of vocal skill.
Taking charge, 41-year-old Underwood spoke to the audience and urged them to join in, saying, “If you know the words, help me out here.”
She received praise for her spontaneous a cappella performance, demonstrating once more why she is one of the biggest names in country music.
“Diva, inauguration day”
But backstage, the star—dubbed the “inauguration day diva”—was in a completely different mood.
“Anyone who wanted to listen that Trump called her personally to ask her to perform,” she boasted, according to the Daily Mail.
However, she still had to deal with a number of backstage issues despite her personal invitation.
The Grammy-winning artist was first made to wear an off-the-rack dress rather than the expensive gown she had anticipated receiving from “the administration or the designer,” according to an unnamed source who spoke to the U.S. Sun.
The insider stated, “She was anticipating being dressed in something couture, or at least something custom.” That did not occur either. Carrie ultimately wore a $300 dress that she bought off the rack and cheap shoes.
Few attendees
The “Somethin’ Bad” singer reportedly discovered that her entourage was significantly smaller than she had expected, adding to the list of unforeseen changes. Her guest list was reduced because the event was moved indoors, which limited the number of people she could invite. The insider told the Sun that this was “something she was not happy about.”
“She engaged a security army…and insisted on being given a team of twenty. In addition to that, she naturally wanted tickets for her friends and family,” a different source told the Daily Mail.
That wasn’t the end of it.
Setting up a catastrophe
In addition to her diminishing entourage, technical issues, and wardrobe setbacks, reports indicate that Underwood was not happy with how her performance was staged.
Carrie Underwood ‘made diva demands’ for Donald Trump inauguration performancehttps://t.co/2ye4rydD1l pic.twitter.com/T3oPMB9hwF
— Mirror Celeb (@MirrorCeleb) January 21, 2025
The Daily Mail claims that the singer of “Jesus, Take the Wheel” was “furious” that she did not receive the “same level of respect” as other artists, such as Lady Gaga, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” during Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021.
The source stated that Carrie was unhappy with her performance at the event, mainly because of the small amount of space she was allotted, which made her feel claustrophobic and uneasy. Throughout the performance, she experienced a high level of anxiety and felt that she was not given the same respect or admiration as other performers, like Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. At the 2013 inauguration of Barack Obama, Beyoncé performed the national anthem of the United States.
According to the tipster, she is accustomed to performing at large venues where she has the entire stage to herself. Not even a platform or stage was provided for her. It seemed to her that she was only in a room with microphones and people surrounding her. This caused the acoustics to be off.
The informant went on to say, “She had a little tantrum after feeling like she was escorted in and out.”
Despite the many unexpected turns of her Washington, D.C., event, Carrie Underwood was able to rise above them all and give a strong vocal performance that impressed both critics and fans.