Kelly Clarkson Covers ‘Womanizer’ After Britney Spears Seemingly Calls Her out for 2008 Comments

Kelly Clarkson is showing her support for Britney Spears, despite past controversial comments she made about the pop icon. Just days after Spears seemingly called the American Idol winner out for comments made more than a decade ago, Clarkson treated her audience to a cover of Spear’s “Womanizer” on Wednesday’s episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.

The performance came during the latest edition of “Kellyoke,” a fan-favorite part of Clarkson’s talk show. Taking the studio stage in a colorful, flowing dress, Clarkson was backed by her band Y’all, the group offering audience members and viewers from home a twist on the hit song, opting for a more rock-laced performance. Clarkson’s cover was highlighted by intensified drum and electric guitar as the singer crooned the lyrics to plenty of applause.

Clarkson’s performance came just a week after drama was stirred when Spears, in a since-deleted Wednesday, June 8 Instagram video, according to Us Weekly, seemingly called Clarkson out for remarks she made in 2008. In the caption of the video, the recently-wed Spears wrote, “don’t forget’ … don’t you just wish she would say she’s kidding ??? Clarkson … in a world where bullying has been heartbreaking, I’ve had my share …. Can we get an AWW ??? Psss … I’m not kidding … play on friends, play on !!!”

Spears’ post seemed to refer to an interview Clarkson gave to radio station Q100 in 2008. During the interview – which came just a year after Spears released Blackout and divorced Kevin Federline and also followed those headline-making reports after Spears shaved her head and spent time in a rehab center – Clarkson asked, “Wouldn’t it be funny if she’s just totally screwing with everyone?” The singer, who admitted she wasn’t very familiar with Spears’ situation at the time, continued, “Cause it’d be real funny if she were like, ‘just kidding!’ I mean, think about it. She’s done no press for her album, which I love by the way … She’s done no press, just gets so much press off all this other stuff.” However, when the host called Spears crazy, Clarkson replied, “I don’t know. I don’t know her. I’ve met her a couple of times. She’s actually really cool to me.”

At this time, Clarkson has not publicly responded to Spears’ name-dropping, and it does not appear that Spears has commented on Clarkson’s performance of “Womanizer.” The singer has been busy in recent days, as she tied the knot to now-husband Sam Asghari at their secluded Thousand Oaks home on Thursday, June 9. The couple first met in 2016 on the set of the singer’s “Slumber Party” music video.