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‘American Idol’ singer says Carrie Underwood rejected her over her ties to a pop star: ‘She knew...’

Presley Cash says her connection to a major pop star led Carrie Underwood to shut her down during ‘American Idol’ auditions

'American Idol' is no stranger to controversy—and after more than two decades on air, that’s to be expected. But the show is once again facing online backlash after musician Presley Cash, known for appearing in Taylor Swift’s music videos like 'Mean' and 'I Can See You', opened up about her experience on the show. In a TikTok post, Cash claimed she was unfairly cut during the first round of auditions—and pointed the finger at Carrie Underwood. According to her, Underwood intentionally rejected her because of her connection to Swift, as reported by TV Insider.

Cash reportedly met Swift way back in 2011 when she appeared in one of her music videos, 'Mean', alongside Joey King. Fast forward to 2023, Cash went on to star in another one of Taylor Swift's music videos, 'I Can See You', part of the re-recorded album 'Speak Now' (Taylor's Version), where she played a significant role in this music video as she starred in 'Rescue Swift' alongside Taylor Lautner and Joey King.

Swift also invited the music video trio on stage during her Eras Tour concert, which definitely was a moment to remember for Cash, showcasing her connection with the pop star. However, Cash recently went on to audition for 'American Idol' Season 23 in front of judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood. According to Cash, Underwood was the reason for Cash's dismissal owing to her association with Taylor Swift. Cash uploaded various videos on TikTok as well as Instagram to put forward her point.

In an Instagram video where Cash can be seen practicing, she put up a text explaining her story, which said, "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. She added, “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..."

The full audition of Cash hasn't aired, with only a part of the video being shown to the audience where Cash can be seen giving judges the Skeleton gloves. That said, Cash's claims need to be taken with a grain of salt. After the episode aired with Cash's clip in it, she posted a TikTok with Taylor Swift's 'Mean' playing in the background with changing images of Cash performing on 'Idol' along with an image of Underwood wearing the gloves. The text on the video said, "American Idol told me I can’t sing, but Taylor gave me this Tortured Poets Department bracelet [shown in the video], and after my little trip to Nashville, I am more tortured and poetic than ever."