Country Singer Who Botched National Anthem Says She ‘Felt Like America’s Punching Bag’

Country singer Ingrid Andress is reflecting on her viral rendition of the National Anthem at the 2024 Home Run Derby last summer, saying she doesn’t deserve all the hate even though she messed up the song.

“I am sorry you had to witness that horrific rendition of our nation’s anthem,” she told Rolling Stone in a new interview, representing the first time she’s gone into detail about the incident. “Whoever that was is not an accurate representation of who I am at all,” Andress continued. “You got to see me in my worst moment, so now, everything from here will be great.”

The singer did apologize after the clip went viral and told fans she would be checking into rehab. Now she’s saying despite her mistake, the haters took it too far.

“I felt like America’s punching bag. I became a way to unite America. It was like, ‘At least we can all agree that this girl botched the anthem,’” Andress said. “I’ll be the punching bag for sure, but I didn’t commit a crime. It felt very extreme for what the situation was.”

The singer recalled drinking alcohol prior to the performance, which she said was not out of character for her. Then she felt a “numbness” take over and claims she “blacked out” while she was singing.

“If you don’t start on the note that it gives you, you’re screwed,” she said of missing the prompt of her in-ear monitor. “It was my voice fighting with the tuner, which is a losing battle.”

Andress also addressed her statement about going to rehab at the time. The country star said she spent one month in treatment. “I needed to let people know that it’s not just this one incident that I messed up. ‘I need to get better. I’m at such a low place, I’m not gonna lie about it,’” she told the outlet. 

“I feel like I’ve gotten to know myself again, which is probably the biggest gift of all of it,” Andress said of her current situation. “I learned to not ever let your past dictate what you can do in the future. Sometimes it takes a little public humiliation to turn your life around.”

The four-time Grammy nominee got a shot to redeem herself when she was selected to sing the National Anthem at a hockey game between the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche on February 28.