Kelly Clarkson just wants her stuff. She earned it. Yet, according to the pop diva, what she was promised as the winner of American Idol season 1, she didn't get. Not all of it, and not in the way she expected.
The winner was supposed to receive $1 million and a new vehicle. Clarkson got neither. She is still waiting on the car, and the money seems to have been intended to be an "investment" in her career, which, in turn, was more of an investment in the American Idol name.
Clarkson admitted to as much on a recent episode of her eponymous talk show while speaking with the winner of Traitors season 4, Rob Rausch, who said he had yet to receive the promised $220,000 he was supposed to get from winning.
Kelly Clarkson is still waiting on her money and car from American Idol
Clarkson told Rausch, "You probably weren’t alive when I was on American Idol, but I was literally on the show, and they were like, ‘Oh, you win a million dollars,’ or whatever. No, you didn’t. They lied. You did not, no. It was like a million dollars' worth of investment in you."
What makes the issue worse is that season 2 finalist Clay Aiken's mom got a car from his appearance in the finals. Maybe American Idol learned their lesson from what happened in season 1 and didn't want the potential bad public relations from not giving finalists and winners what they were promised.
At least, Kelly Clarkson, who has a net worth of a reported $60 million, doesn't need the vehicle anymore, of course. If she wants one or five, she can simply go out and buy one. Still, it is the principle of the issue that is the problem. Clarkson could get the car and give it away; someone could use it.
As far as the performing show helping Clarkson's career, of course, it did. But no mistakes should be made, because she didn't have the talent on her own to be a success. She obviously did. Clarkson might not have succeeded as quickly with American Idol, but she appears to have been destined to find her way. We are all better off for it.