Kelly Clarkson Reveals She Never Got The Car She Was Promised After Winning 'American Idol'

When you make a promise to someone and then don't follow through on that promise, trust that they will remember.

The last thing you want is for that person to later call you out publicly—especially if they're a big name in the public eye.

This week on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson's guest stars were Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe and The Traitors' Rob Rausch.

While discussing the results of The Traitors, a reality TV-style murder mystery show, Rausch admitted that he had not been paid for winning the show yet.

This opened the floodgates for Clarkson, who shared how she was treated as the first winner of American Idol.

"You know what? I relate to this so hardcore."

"I literally was on the show ['American Idol'], and they were like, 'Oh, you win a million dollars,' or whatever. No, you didn't. It was, like, a million dollars worth of investment in you."

Clarkson was just 17 when she auditioned for American Idol, and becoming the first winner as an 18-year-old woman was a pivotal moment in her career. That said, receiving the money and car that was promised to her would have been life-changing.

Clarkson continued:

"Then they said, 'You get a car,' and I needed it, because my car was bashed in, and I couldn't afford the deductible."

"I did not get a car."

However, someone else did get a car... twice.

"Then Clay Aiken, who didn't even win the second season, got a car, and his mom also got a car!"

"I was like, 'What the f**k?' I remember Clay telling me that the second season. He was like, 'Yeah, they gave my mom one,' and I was like, 'I'm gonna actually kick your a** right now.'"

Clarkson then referred to Rausch's situation, warning that he might only see a prize in the form of "investment."

While these winners are typically promised a cash prize and a car or other similar asset, the fine print will often indicate that the "cash prize" actually comes in the form of investment marketing. The company won't actually pay their winners; instead, they'll spend the money on advertising campaigns to get the winner's name out there.

While that was pivotal for Clarkson, it wasn't what she thought she was promised.

"It was supposed to be the prize then."

"That's why I'm saying, you might not see it. You might not see it."

"But, you know, I hope you got enough TV time."

You can watch the segment here:

Some fans couldn't help but laugh about Clarkson exposing American Idol.

Others called the idea of "investments" shady.

You can watch the full conversation here:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Clarkson may have benefitted from marketing that helped her career, but the show should have been upfront about the arrangement to avoid confusion and long-term hurt feelings.