How Kelly Clarkson Is Getting the Last Laugh in Hollywood After Early ‘American Idol’ Embarrassment

Kelly Clarkson shot to fame in 2002 when she won the first season of American Idol, but not everyone in Hollywood shared in her excitement. It was still the early days of reality shows when Survivor was a relatively new phenomenon and Dancing With the Stars hadn’t even hit the airwaves. At the time, reality show cast members weren’t exactly welcome in the entertainment industry.

“People were like really mean to us because we were from a talent show,” Clarkson admitted to Life & Style. “Like everyone was so rude to us, like on the red carpet, at the show. It was so bad. It was a horrible experience!” Of course, the 42-year-old TV personality now hosts her own daytime talk show and has sold over 25 million albums worldwide — she had the last laugh. But as one source told the outlet, some people in Hollywood only “saw Kelly as a pre-manufactured star who didn’t pay her dues!”

AMERICAN IDOL: THE SEARCH FOR A SUPERSTAR, Ryan Seacrest, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Brian Dunkleman, ‘Winner’s Finale’, (Season 1, airing Sept. 4, 2002), 2002-.

It probably didn’t help that Clarkson was contractually obligated to make the fairly mediocre film, From Justin to Kelly, after she and runner-up Justin Guarini finished the American Idol season. “It was a very miserable time of my life,” she revealed in a 2019 Los Angeles Times interview. “I feel like it’s one of those things where ‘There are plenty of people that would love to do this—why don’t you ask one of them?’” She tried to get out of it, but the film and the record deal were in an ironclad contract. “I cried,” she added. “I talked to many lawyers and could not get out of the movie.”

Fans saw right through the flimsy beach movie musical and not many people even bothered to turn up at the box office. That’s why Clarkson had to prove herself through her music and managed to get her single “Miss Independent” released ahead of the film. It was a winning move. “The fact that that was successful, I think that overcame what the movie was,” she said.

Hollywood shouldn’t expect Clarkson looking for acting roles anytime soon either — she’s just not interested in being anything but herself. “I think I might have been the only one that didn’t want to do it,” she admitted “But the winner had to, so. I can get over the fact that it’s silly and cute—that’s not embarrassing to me at all. I just don’t find it very cool that somebody makes you do something that is not your passion and you don’t want to do.”

Now, the entertainment industry is begging to work with Clarkson and finally embraces her career-making American Idol beginnings.