After winning the first-ever season of “American Idol,” Kelly Clarkson starred alongside runner-up Justin Guarini in the film “From Justin to Kelly.” The 2003 musical romantic comedy centers on Kelly, a Texas waitress, and Justin, a college graduate from Pennsylvania, who meet during spring break in Florida and ultimately fall in love, with several song-and-dance numbers in between.
The film received harsh reviews and was a box-office bomb. Nearly 25 years later, Clarkson was forced to relive her experience during a Las Vegas show after spotting a fan wearing a shirt referencing the movie.
Unsurprisingly, Clarkson didn’t have many positive things to say about her time working on the film.
Kelly Clarkson Says She Was ‘Contractually Obligated’ to Make ‘From Justin to Kelly’
GettyKelly Clarkson noticed a fan wearing a T-shirt during her last show in Las Vegas on August 15, featuring her character from the 2003 film “From Justin to Kelly” and wasn’t about to let the moment pass without sharing her thoughts.
According to a video shared on Us Weekly’s Instagram, Clarkson opened up about her experience making the film following her “American Idol” win, and her hand gesture made it clear that she wasn’t thrilled about it.
“That’s amazing, Etsy. Well, it’s an Oscar-worthy number, and it’s called ‘From Justin to Kelly,” she said. “Two words: Contractually obligated,” she added while holding up the middle finger.
Clarkson then joked that she should have read “the [expletive] fine print” before signing away to work on the film. “I didn’t know that you had to do a movie. Not all of us want to be Meryl Streep; we just like watching her, okay?”
She continued, “I was just like, I don’t want to be in a movie, but they were like, ‘Yeah, but you won.’ And I was like, ‘And I feel like I’m losing? It doesn’t feel quite like a win.'”
Clarkson ‘Cried’ to an ‘American Idol’ Creator When Learning About the Movie Role
GettyBefore candidly sharing her feelings during her Las Vegas show, Clarkson had already been open about her dislike of making the film.
In a 2015 interview with Us Weekly (via Entertainment Tonight), the singer revealed that she would have been perfectly happy losing to Guarini during the “Idol” finale if that meant avoiding having to make the movie. Unlucky for her, the movie starred both the winner and runner-up of the season.
“I cried for a solid hour on the phone with the creator of ‘American Idol’ and pleaded to be let out of the contract that said I had to film ‘From Justin to Kelly,” she shared.
Clarkson doubled down on her dislike for her own film while speaking to Time that same year. When asked if she’d let her daughter, River Rose, watch the movie, the songstress said, “Never! We don’t have to show her that!” She then added, “I just want it to go away. I want to own all of it. I just want it to not be here.”
In fact, during her recent Las Vegas show, Clarkson shared that both her daughter and son, Remington Alexander, are “banned” from watching the movie.
“It is funny though, like, my kids, I’ve banned them from watching,” Clarkson said. “My nanny’s, like, ‘I loved that movie when it came out.’ I was like, ‘And I judge you — all day, all night. I’m just kidding.”
