Country singer Tate Stevens was crowned “The X Factor” champ last night as controversy engulfs the runner-up, Carly Rose Sonenclar.
According to TMZ, Sonenclar’s family is allegedly outraged at LeAnn Rimes because they believe she sunk Carly Rose’s chance to win the singing contest.
Sources tell the gossip site that the 13-year-old singer’s mom thinks the country singer severely ruined her chances when she said Carly Rose was “nervous and had trouble hitting the right notes” when the two performed a duet of Rimes’ song “How Do I Live?”
“I was trying to help this 13-year-old girl who was having some trouble with the song,” Rimes’ told TMZ through her rep.
Rimes later claimed she never gave the quote, but TMZ claims her rep OK’d the quote for publication.
Admittedly, Rimes looked like she was struggling through her own 1997 hit on Wednesday night as Carly Rose held her own. Rimes often overlapped the finalist and sang louder. At one point during the duet, Rimes grabbed onto Carly Rose’s arm, seemingly for support.
Many viewers wondered if Rimes was perhaps under the influence.
“Was LeAnn Rimes drunk on last night’s ‘X Factor’ performance?” one fan tweeted. “I heard she’s been sick. Hope that’s all.”
The singer seemed to be inflamed by the accusations and tweeted nothing was wrong with her during the show.
“In my 18 years of performing, I have never been anything but professional onstage. It is a shame that gossip and lies are overshadowing the performance of Carly, a very talented young girl,” she wrote.
Meanwhile winner Stevens received a $5 million recording contract.