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The Grammy nominee — who attended rehab after she went viral for singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” while visibly intoxicated at the MLB Home Run Derby in July — reveals the country singers who reached out in support following her performance.
Seven months after she infamously botched the national anthem at the MLB Home Run Derby, country singer Ingrid Andress is recalling the “public humiliation” that followed.
While speaking with Rolling Stone in her first interview since the incident, Andress, 33, reflected on her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” calling the viral performance her “worst moment.”
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“I am sorry you had to witness that horrific rendition of our nation’s anthem,” the Grammy nominee said. “Whoever that was is not an accurate representation of who I am at all.”
“You got to see me in my worst moment,” she added, “so now, everything from here will be great.”
The “More Hearts Than Mine” singer — who admitted at the time that she was “drunk” during her performance and shared she would be attending rehab — said that while she would consume multiple alcohol beverages before performances she had “never let it get in the way” — until she sang the national anthem at the Home Run Derby in Dallas, Texas in front of 40,000 people.
“If I was not completely blacked out, I would have heard the pitch in my in-ear of where I was supposed to start,” Andress recalled of her performance, in which she was off-key, pitchy, and slurred her words. “If you don’t start on the note that it gives you, you’re screwed. It was my voice fighting with the tuner, which is a losing battle.”
Following her performance, she was met with widespread criticism online as the video spread on social media. The next day, Andress released a statement, below, and flew to a rehab facility, telling Rolling Stone that she cried on the plane.
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“It broke my heart,” she said of the backlash and negative comments. “I had to stop reading comments because I couldn’t handle how deeply it hurt.”
The “We’re Not Friends” musician noted that the performance came amid the presidential campaign, saying that while the country appeared divided, she believes her viral moment brought people together.
“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,'” she 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.”
However, amid the backlash, Andress said she was also met with love and support, specifically from her peers, including country singers Kelsea Ballerini, Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town, and Elle King, who went viral for a drunken performance of her own in January 2024.
“There was something about hearing from females in country that made me feel like, ‘I’m OK. I’ll be fine,'” she told Rolling Stone. “We’ve learned to have each other’s backs.”
Andress added that guitarist Carlos Santana also reached out, saying he was “so supportive” and even proposed they work together.
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“This stuff has happened to a lot of people who know exactly what I’m feeling right now,” she continued. “It’s kind of a ‘Thank God’ moment, because we all do f–k up. But we all move on. And that’s part of this process.”
During an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of Nick Viall’s podcast, The Viall Files, Andress shared similar thoughts, reflecting on the support she received from King and Ballerini.
“I was expecting no one to reach out, but there was just so much outpouring of love from female country artists in Nashville,” she said. “I actually felt, like, so loved and seen going into rehab.”
“Elle King was like, ‘This is just all part of it, girl,'” Andress added. “She’s obviously been there before, too. … And that really meant a lot to me.”
Now, after her time in rebab, and six months away from the spotlight, “The Stranger” singer has returned to music, releasing her first single since the incident, “Footprints.” Andress also performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Colorado Avalanche NHL game last week.
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“We’re back baby,” she captioned the video.
“I feel like I’ve gotten to know myself again, which is probably the biggest gift of all of it,” Andress said to Rolling Stone. “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.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, get help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.
