Kristin Chenoweth Fans Defend Her Against ‘Ridiculous’ Online Hate After Her National Anthem Performance Goes Viral: ‘She Hit All The Notes!’
June 27, 2025 by Julia DeKorte
Kristin Chenoweth performed the national anthem at Game 7 of the NBA Finals (congratulations, Oklahoma City Thunder!), and despite having a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, she’s being met with mixed reviews. Keep reading for more information.
Tony Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth slammed by NBA fans for Game 7 national anthem https://t.co/kclmvVL5Ne pic.twitter.com/vWEMaXsjvm
— New York Post (@nypost) June 23, 2025
Kristin Chenoweth’s Controversial National Anthem Performance
The Oklahoma native flew in to Oklahoma City specifically for the game, donned in head-to-toe Thunder gear (including sparkly bedazzled cowboy boots). She addressed the crowd ahead of performance, telling them, “I do love this song, and I take it very seriously. I definitely do my own version.”
And do her own version she did. Holding out the final word “free” for a full eight seconds, the Wicked actress certainly earned her standing ovation, but she also earned herself some criticism online. While some of her long-time fans praised her performance, others called it “horrible,” “excessive,” and “awful.”