'American Idol' Facing Backlash Over Claudia Conway
by EG
American Idol is being accused of trying to take advantage of a case of high-profile alleged child abuse. The show has showcased 16-year-old Claudia Conway, daughter of former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway, after Claudia has accused her mother of being emotionally and physically abusive. Critics have suggested that ABC and American Idol are trying to exploit a serious situation for their own gain. Read on for details.
Via Page Six.
ABC is in “crisis mode” and considering taking the spotlight off Claudia Conway after her appearance on “American Idol” was branded “exploitative” because it appeared to capitalize on her serious struggles with her mom, Kellyanne Conway.
For months, Claudia, 16, has been documenting her volatile relationship with her mother, a former White House adviser to Donald Trump, on Tik Tok.
Things got so bad that cops got involved last month after Claudia accused Kellyanne, 54, of leaking a nude picture of her (though she later recanted the allegation).
This weekend, Claudia appeared on the talent show, with the network putting her front-and-center and featuring her in promos for the show. Kellyanne even appeared on the show via video to offer her encouragement.
Critics have claimed the show is using the Conways’ strife to boost ratings, while a Variety article likened the appearance to “malpractice” and says what is “jarringly wrong about this is the degree to which a child at the center of a dispute that has bled into public view is being asked to launder the reputations of two adults [Kellyanne and her controversial politico husband George] who should know better.”
Now an insider tells us the network is “rethinking how they are going to position Claudia and Kellyanne with promotion. They were big on putting Claudia in all of the promos, but now they are thinking of not putting as much focus on that … to not make as big a deal of her being on the show and focus on other contestants.”
ABC is also facing trouble with their series “The Bachelor” after host Chris Harrison apologized and temporarily stepped down after giving an interview in which he seemed to condone alleged racist behavior by contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.
“Given everything with the ‘Bachelor,’ they don’t want any more unnecessary attention or backlash,” says the source.
Get the rest of the story at Page Six.
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