Kristin Chenoweth Shares Cryptic Post About Being ‘Disliked’ After National Anthem Backlash: ‘The Price of Authenticity’

Kristin Chenoweth belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner” with everything she had at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City for the 2025 NBA finals on Sunday, June 22, but her rendition garnered some harsh criticism on social media.

One X user called it “horrible” and another person added, “She would have probably been fine if she hadn’t tried to show off by carrying that one note too long.” A third critic wrote, “Why fix what’s not broken? Changing it up doesn’t make it better.”

That night, the Wicked star, 56, appeared to casually hit back at the backlash with a cryptic quote shared to her Instagram Story.

“The price of authenticity is being disliked,” the post read.

However, not everyone had a bone to pick with Chenoweth’s performance. Other fans rushed to her defense.

One enthusiastic X user quipped, “Not even 30 seconds in and she already made 3 people cry and 1 ref rethink his calls.” Another fan gushed, “Perfect in every way. Ranks in the top five best ever renditions of the beautiful ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’ Brought tears to my eyes.”

Despite the mixed reactions, Chenoweth stunned during her performance wearing light wash jeans, a gray Oklahoma Thunder t-shirt and a pair of show-stopping, sparkly, knee-high boots. They were so impressive of a statement piece that some of her fans couldn’t help but praise her style choice!

“Kristin Chenoweth’s boots are simply fantastic,” an additional user on X said, and a second fan asked, “Love those blingy boots! Where did you get them?”

In a video shared by the Oklahoma Thunder’s official account on Instagram, Chenoweth spoke out on what the national anthem meant to her.

“I do love this song and I take it very seriously,” she explained. “I definitely do my own version.”

The opportunity to sing at the major sporting event was also special to her as the Broadway star is from Oklahoma herself and has been a “huge basketball fan” for her “whole life.”

Chenoweth revealed that the team even served as a namesake for a beloved member of her family.

“Eight years ago, I named my dog Thunder,” she said in the clip.

Prior to the event, she also told  told The Associated Press that she “never” misses one of their games unless she’s performing.

“I was a cheerleader in high school in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and I loved football, but my favorite was basketball,” she continued. “I like how much of a team player you’ve got to be. … And this is my team.”