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A ‘Voice’ contestant once called Kelly Clarkson ‘small-minded’ but then soon apologized: 'I look up...'

'I sincerely apologize for any hurt I may have caused with my words,' the eliminated contestant later wrote on X.

'The Voice' contestant Molly Stevens discovered that Kelly Clarkson was not one of 'The Voice' coaches you could mess with after starting an internet feud. Stevens was surprisingly eliminated from team Clarkson during the battle round of season 14 in 2018. She was up against fellow teammate Justin Kilgore and delivered a powerful rendition of Cam's 'Burning House'. However, things turned bitter after Stevens went home and penned a lengthy Instagram post criticizing Clarkson for her views. Calling the 'Catch My Breath' singer "small-minded," Stevens accused her of "throwing her into a labeling trap." 

Stevens, who freely identified as gay, didn't appreciate that Clarkson had likened her voice to that of lesbian singers like Melissa Etheridge, the Indigo Girls, and Patty Griffin. "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," she wrote in the now-deleted post. "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 is @melissa_etheridge and the @indigogirlsmusic." Philip R. Leodoro, an X user and fan of the reality show, quickly took a screenshot of the post and requested Stevens to apologize to Clarkson, Billboard reported. 

"@mollystevens_1 I think you need to apologize to @kelly_clarkson. She has always supported the gay community. As a fan & a gay man, I am offended! Sounds like a bit of a sore loser way to go about things!!" he tweeted as per the outlet. 'The Voice' coach took notice of the scathing remark and clapped back at the disgruntled contestant herself, "Wow. This really bums me out," Clarkson wrote. "I need everyone 2 hear me & hear all of the words I say. I compared Molly to Melissa Etheridge, Patty Griffin (a name that was left out conveniently), & the Indigo Girls purely because of the rasp in her voice & that she’s an amazing storyteller." 

Clarkson has long advocated for LGBTQ rights and remains one of the pioneering voices in the entertainment industry to openly support the cause. In 2017, she wrote an open letter to Billboard expressing her dedication and call for equality toward the cause. "It always makes me feel sad when someone from the LGBTQ community comes up and says thank you so much for being supportive," she wrote. Ironically, Stevens had stormed onto the stage with her captivating rendition of her favorite song, 'Heavenly Day,' by her idol, Patty Griffin, during the blind audition round. She later realized her mistake and apologized to Clarkson in a now-deleted tweet. 

"I sincerely apologize for any hurt I may have caused with my words," she wrote. "This was not my intention at all. For the people who know me well, you know my heart well too. I strive to live in truth and light. @kelly_clarkson I truly apologize for thinking differently. I look up to you." Although she was hurt by the comments, Clarkson never publicly responded to Stevens' apology.