Claudia Conway, a TikTok personality and the daughter of former Trump White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, hit a harsh note in her pursuit of a singing career on Monday.
The 16-year-old was eliminated on “American Idol” after her Hollywood Week duet with contestant Hannah Everhart, ending a controversial run in which the talent show was criticized for featuring her.
“You’re taking control of your life, and I applaud you for that,” judge Katy Perry said. “Claudia, this is gonna be the end of the ‘American Idol’ journey for right now.”
Conway appeared to take the “Firework” singer’s words to heart, retweeting them later with a clip of her dismissal.
She thanked Perry and was gracious with the richer-voiced Everhart, who did advance. The two even had a joking exchange in which the Mississippi contestant said she would send Conway a chicken.
Conway was on shaky ground from the start. Some viewers accused the show of exploiting her family situation for ratings. The teen’s popularity on TikTok has grown amid a contentious relationship with her mother and her father, attorney George Conway of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project.
And it didn’t help that her modest talent struggled to emerge.
During her audition, judges asked her to start over with another song. She then performed a serviceable rendition of “River” in a Hollywood Week round that aired Sunday, accompanied by her politically famous mom.
In Monday’s duet episode, panelist Luke Bryan observed that Everhart “carried the load” in their performance of Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times.”