Claudia Conway puts her story back in order – using her own voice to navigate through the rough waters of online notoriety.
The upset TikTok teenager’s first official “American Idol” competition performance came with her own one-woman cheers: her mother, former Trump administration spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway.
Claudia apparently took Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie’s previous advice to silence all the “negativity that surrounded her” so she could focus on her vocal potential – and what his wanted out of her suddenly sensational existence.
The 16-year-old freshman told viewers on Sunday that she felt it was “the most important thing in the world” to establish her own identity – through music. While her proud mother cheered her on, she presented a passionate rendition of ‘River’ by Bishop Briggs during her Genre Challenge performance for Hollywood Week.
The trio of judges approved it – and carried Claudia to the next round while her mother slowly burned like another crazy proud parent in the audience.
The high school student’s revelation show in New Jersey came after reports that ABC was in a crisis mode over the sensational TikTok teenager who drew the attention of other contestants. Rumors are circulating after her initial appearance was described as ‘exploitative’, as it appears to be from her serious fight with mother Kellyanne (54), who included a police investigation after a nude photo of her daughter in January on social media has been placed.
However, the infamous social media star advanced to the second round after a rough audition in February in which she wore a skinny bandana and haunted a shaky version of Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain”. Judge Katy Perry immediately interrupted Conway’s first time and told her to slip off her sparkling stilettos and try another tune.
“You need to calm the storm around you,” Perry warned her at the time, “because if you sing the way you want to read social media afterwards, you’re just becoming a TikTok star.”
Claudia redeemed herself with a look at Adele’s “When We Were Young,” and moved her proud father – anti-Trump lawyer George Conway, 57, into tears as he listened just outside the auditorium. “She likes music,” he choked in February. “It makes me happy to see her do this.”
But it was Mama who showed up for Sunday’s delivery for daughter and offered unsolicited tips (“it was a little flat”), which Claudia politely refused with a series of eye rolls before her mother suffocated her in festive hugs after the performance.
Kellyanne, who reportedly owns a million-dollar bookstore, is even a few bars from Alicia Keys’ 2012 national anthem ‘Girl on Fire’ to encourage her little girl.
