‘American Idol’ Contestant Claims Carrie Underwood Rejected Her Because of Taylor Swift Connection
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Presley Cash, an aspiring singer who appeared in Taylor Swift‘s music videos for “Mean” and “I Can See You,” has made some shocking claims about American Idol after auditioning for Season 23 of the show. Cash did not make it through the audition round following her performance in front of judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.
The actress posted a TikTok about her experience and insinuated that Underwood purposely rejected her because of her connection to Swift, who welcomed Cash onstage at her Eras tour in July 2023 to celebrate the release of the “I Can See You” video.
In the video, Cash was seemingly practicing for her audition in her bedroom, but she revealed in a chunk of text over the clip that there was “tea” to spill. She claimed that she was sought after by Idol producers for months, only to be turned away once she actually auditioned.
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“Little did I know I was about to go in front of the American Idol judges after six months of grooming from producers saying how amazing of a singer/songwriter I was and [they] loved my work with Taylor. Just to have Carrie Underwood say I can’t sing and I can’t hang in Hollywood,” she alleged. “After working in Hollywood for 20 years. She knew about my work with Taylor Swift and that I was part of the BIGGEST TOUR in HERstory (the Eras tour). It seems the tea is hotter than we thought ghouls.”
Cash was just a teenager when she appeared in Swift’s 2010 music video for “Mean” alongside Joey King. Both actresses were welcomed back for the “I Can See You” video 13 years later, along with Taylor Lautner. The trio helped Swift premiere the video during her Eras tour show in Kansas City.
Viewers only got to see a quick clip of Cash’s audition on Idol, and it focused on her gifting the judges skeleton gloves rather than her performance. After the episode aired, she posted a TikTok with Swift’s “Mean” playing in the background and text that said, “American Idol told me I can’t sing but Taylor gave me this Tortured Poets Department bracelet and after my little trip to Nashville [to audition] I am more tortured and poetic than EVER.”
American Idol, Season 23, Sundays and Mondays, 8/7c, ABC
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