Carrie Underwood cheered on this season’s “American Idol” winner, but viewers quickly picked apart her post, citing old moments and questioning her sincerity.
After the “American Idol” Season 23 finale aired on May 18, 2025, longtime franchise figure Carrie Underwood took to Instagram to celebrate the newly crowned winner, Jamal Roberts.
But not everyone was convinced. Many fans took to the comment section to express disappointment in Underwood’s behavior throughout the season, claiming she appeared to favor finalist John Foster over Roberts.
Similar sentiments were echoed on Facebook under the same post. Comments included, “But she wanted John to win,” “So wanted John to win,” and “Baby stop with that fake smile we already know you didn’t want him to win you been proved that‼️‼️‼️‼️ [sic]”
Among the critical voices, there were also fans who attempted to offer a more charitable perspective. One commenter wrote, “I don’t think she’d take a photo with him if she really hated him. It could’ve just been she had really high standards for him bc she knows how good he is.”
Roberts’ victory marked a historic moment for the show. Out of 26 million votes, he was announced as the winner, becoming the first Black man to take the title since Ruben Studdard won Season 2 in 2003. Roberts, who is 27 years old, performed Anthony Hamilton’s “Her Heart” as his winner’s song while surrounded by his fellow contestants.
