Carrie Underwood’s rise to fame from American Idol to the queen of country music has been nothing short of spectacular. However, like any other entertainer, Underwood has also faced her share of drama and feuds with other celebrities.
Underwood’s rise to fame and her career have followed a fairly predictable tabloid pattern, consisting of praise, suspicion, and a steady stream of rumored feuds. Among the celebrities the country singer has clashed with, Taylor Swift’s name comes up, as she and Underwood have been involved in a long-running feud.
According to reports, Underwood and Brad Paisley made jokes about Swift’s dating life while hosting the CMA Awards, which the “Bad Blood” singer did not take well to. In an interview with The New York Times, Swift later said, “They [the cameras] don’t pan to you if you’re not laughing.”
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Moreover, there are also rumors that claim Swift heard “back-stabbing snickers” about her relationship with Calvin Harris, and there are also allegations that Underwood called their romance a “faux-mance.”
Adding to this drama, more tension reportedly occurred between the two in 2013 when, according to Us Weekly, the stars’ teams had asked them to keep apart at the Grammys. However, it is important to note that no such claims have been confirmed. Neither Swift nor Underwood has spoken about any rift between them, which often makes these rumors come across as mostly fan-made speculation.
Jessica Simpson is another celebrity rumored to have a feud with Underwood. The speculation stems from the fact that both women dated Tony Romo.
Underwood and Romo were together briefly before they parted ways. Simpson came into Romo’s life later, and the media revisited his relationship with Underwood, which caused Simpson some distress.
Moreover, the fact that Romo and Underwood remained in touch by phone did not help Simpson’s concerns. However, Underwood addressed these rumors, saying in 2008 that she had met Simpson once and she “seemed really nice,” and then added, “so I don’t have a feud with anybody.”
Hilary Duff has also made it to the list of people with whom Underwood allegedly does not share a good relationship. However, their dynamic is based more on body language that fans have dissected and reached a conclusion from.
Pictures from the 2007 NHL season are behind speculation of a rift between the two, as they were seen seated separately while their then partners, Mike Comrie and Mike Fisher, played for the Ottawa Senators.
Neither of the two women has publicly spoken about any feud, and Duff later said that they talked when they saw each other, suggesting there was no rift between them. However, their distant seating arrangements at the game have continued to fuel feud speculation.
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American Idol champion Kelly Clarkson has also been pitted against Underwood, and comparisons between the two have been relentless. While speculation about the two being jealous of each other, especially when their album releases or career moves overlapped, has flared up, Clarkson addressed those rumors on Watch What Happens Live, saying that they “don’t even know each other well enough” to be pitted against each other this way.
Underwood also addressed these jealousy rumors, saying women should be celebrated “without pitting them against each other.”
While rumors of feuds with the mentioned celebrities have marked much of Underwood’s career, the biggest backlash came after her performance at President Trump’s 2025 inauguration. Joy Behar also weighed in, questioning Underwood’s decision to perform at the event and asking on The View how the country singer could love America and yet support Trump.
Underwood, however, never publicly responded to the criticism that Behar directed at her for her performance at the event. The singer has often tried to address feud rumors tied to her, though speculation regarding them never seems to end.
