Kelly Clarkson is not one to stir up controversy.
She’s not one to engage in any feuds or get herself involved in really any scandals at all.
But the singer has felt the need to speak out against an accusation no one could have seen coming.
On last night’s edition of The Voice, an aspiring artist named Molly Stevens was shown the door… and she wasn’t happy about it.
The contestant, who is openly gay, wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post that she was upset by a comparison Clarkson made during the battle rounds.
For those who missed the episode, Kelly said Stevens reminded her of the Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge, which Stevens referred to as a “labeling trap” and “small minded.”
This is what she wrote in its entirety:
While I’m extremely honored to be in that category of talent, I do believe that comment did us all a disservice and only threw us into a labeling trap
It felt small minded to me and exactly what I feel we need to bring attention to the world. I am a singer-songwriter who happens to be gay.
And so it @melissa_etheridge and @indigogirlsmusic… But it’s a common stereotype that happens too often. People put us in boxes.
How about for today I am just Molly Stevens and you be you too.
As you can see above, Stevens also thanked her preacher for giving her the courage to make this statement.
But it’s not a statement Clarkson believes she deserves.
“Wow. This really bums me out,” the original American Idol Tweeted upon being informed of Stevens’ critique.
She continued, in her own strong defense:
“I need everyone to hear me and hear ALL OF THE WORDS I SAY.
“I compared Molly to Melissa Etheridge, Patty Griffin (a name that was left out conveniently), and the Indigo Girls purely because of the rasp in her voice and that she’s an amazing storyteller.”
We tend to believe Kelly.
She’s never shown any hints of homophobia or of any kind of “small-minded” thinking.
She’s always seemed incredibly open and laid back and accepting, never really changing at all through the years, even as her fame sky-rocketed to very impressive levels.
Before this issue was brought up, the only thing Clarkson had ever gotten into trouble for was admitting she sometimes spanks her kids.
And even the reaction to that remark seemed a tad overblown.
What do you think of this so-called scandal?
Is it even a scandal?
Did Clarkson misspeak?
Or did Stevens just react in a bitter manner that she later thought better of upon deleting her comment and this really isn’t a story at all?
Sound off now!