"I didn’t commit a crime, it felt very extreme"- Singer Ingrid Andress gets honest about controversial MLB HR Derby performance while intoxicated

CMA Fest 2024 - Day 3 - Source: Getty — Singer Ingrid Andress gets honest about controversial MLB Home Run Derby performance while intoxicated - Source: Getty

The MLB All-Star festivities bring baseball fans together every year to enjoy memorable events. However, the MLB Home Run Derby from 2024 is remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Four-time Grammy-nominated country singer Ingrid Andress sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, in July ahead of the event. But her slurry performance went viral with fans bashing her rendition.

Ingrid apologized for her performance the next day, admitting she was drunk during the performance. The country singer reportedly admitted herself to a rehab facility after the botched performance.

"I’m not gonna bulls–t y’all, I was drunk last night. I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need,” Andress wrote in an Instagram story.

The country singer shared the backlash she faced from fans in an interview with Rolling Stone.

"I felt like America’s punching bag. I became a way to unite America. It was like, ‘At least we can all agree that this girl botched the anthem.' I’ll be the punching bag for sure, but I didn’t commit a crime. It felt very extreme for what the situation was.”

The country singer took center stage on Feb. 28 to perform the national anthem before the Colorado Avalanche's game.

"We're back baby," she captioned the video of her performance on Instagram.

Ingrid Andress is learning from her mistake at MLB Home Run Derby

The four-time Grammy nominee admitted she was going through a tough time and resorted to drinking before her controversial performance in Texas last July.

However, Ingrid Andress is adamant about not letting the botched performance define who she is. She reflected on her growth after singing the national anthem for the NHL game.

"As I've gotten older and experienced more life, I think the most human thing on earth is failing," she said. "It's getting kicked off, feeling the sting of it, but getting back on the same damn horse anyway. The sister, daughter, and human I want to be is resilient.

"Without the mistakes in my life, I would not be the person I am today, and I sure as hell wouldn't have the stories to pass on about my journey. We have to talk about our mistakes in order for our success to make sense."

Ingrid Andress released her new single "Footprints" on Monday and feels she rediscovered herself during her rehab in Colorado.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash