'I felt bad for her': Josh Duhamel says he was 'surprised' at Fergie's twist on national anthem at NBA All-Star Game that bombed
Josh Duhamel says that he was caught off-guard when told of Fergie’s maligned performance of The Star-Spangled Banner at the NBA All-Star Game.
The 45-year-old entertainer, appearing on Thursday's edition of The Dan Patrick Show, said that he'd seen the Fergalicious songstress, 42, successfully perform the national anthem 'several times,' and was puzzled when hearing she'd bombed with her alternate take on the American staple at the event in Los Angeles last month.
'She crushes the song, so I was surprised to see that she tried what she did,' said the Love, Simon actor, noting that he didn't see it live, but was informed by a pal's text alerting him to the hubbub surrounding her rendition, which was panned on social media.
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'I felt bad for her': Josh Duhamel, 45, told The Dan Patrick Show he was surprised at Fergie's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner at the NBA All-Star Game which bombed
'I just felt bad for her - there’s an army of trolls out there that are just ready to pounce, and they are not nice,' he said. 'And for that I feel bad, but she’s a really tough girl.'
The Transformers star added, 'I wanted to defend her too … but I was like, "I just got to stay out of this" ... I didn’t know what else to do.'
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The 6ft4 actor and the Black Eyed Peas beauty separated last fall after an eight-year marriage, and share a four-year-old son named Axl.
They remain on good terms, as he said that 'when somebody you care about is getting hammered like that, it’s not easy.'
'I was surprised to see that she tried what she did': Duhamel said he's heard his estranged wife deliver amazing renditions of the national anthem in its more conventional form
Better judgment: The actor said he decided to stay out of the hubbub, knowing his ex is able to weather the storm of a controversy
Not her finest hour: Fergie's alternate rendition of the national anthem was a major bust
He added of the Glamorous artist: 'The girl’s amazingly talented. She’s had a challenging year but she is resilient.'
He told Ellen last month that he sent flowers and communicated to Fergie, ‘I just want you to know I got your back girl, I’m with you, I’m on your side.'
After the outing, the Grammy-winner issued an apologetic statement in which she said that she went too far out on a creative limb in an attempt to make musical magic.
'I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,' she said. 'I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone.
'I love this country and honestly tried my best.'
Way back: The then-couple was snapped in LA in 2016 at a film premiere
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