Kelly Clarkson Says She Never Got One of Her Biggest ‘American Idol’ Prizes

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What to Know

01 Kelly Clarkson said she never received the car she was promised after winning American Idol in 2002.

02 She explained the “$1 million prize” was actually the value of a recording contract, not cash.

03 Clarkson said other winners, like Carrie Underwood, did receive the cars they were promised.

Kelly Clarkson disclosed that she never received a car that was part of her prize package when she won the first season of “American Idol” more than 20 years ago, Us Weekly reports.

The 43-year-old singer and talk show host made the revelation during a March 10 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” while speaking with Rob Rausch, the winner of “The Traitors” season 4, who said he was still waiting to receive his $220,800 prize.

“I relate to this so hardcore,” Clarkson told Rausch.

Clarkson explained that while she was promised both a car and a million-dollar prize, the reality was different. She clarified that the $1 million was not cash, but the value of a recording contract.

“They lied. You did not, no. It was like a million dollars worth of investment in you,” she said.

The car never materialized at all, Clarkson said, despite her need for one at the time.

“And then they said you get a car, and I needed it ‘cos my car is bashed in and I couldn’t afford the [insurance] deductible. And then, no! I did not get a car!” Clarkson said.

She added that Clay Aiken, the runner-up from the second season, received cars for both himself and his mother.

“I was like, ‘What the f—?’” Clarkson recalled.

Other “American Idol” winners did receive their vehicles. Carrie Underwood, who won season 4, said in a March 2023 interview that she still owns the Ford Mustang convertible she won, according to Us Weekly.

“I do still have the car that I won when I won American Idol. So I have my blue Mustang,” Underwood said.

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Maddie Poppe, the 2018 season 16 winner, said in a 2022 interview with Business Insider that her $250,000 prize was an advance from her record deal that was subject to taxes and had to be recouped.

“This is a rather random thing to bring up all these years after the ‘American Idol’ debut,” said Peter Chakerian, Life & Culture Editor for Cleveland.com. “There are conflicting reports about the million-dollar prize, too. One would think a lawsuit would resolve this.”

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Megan Sims ; cleveland.com ; (TNS) | ©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.