Lee DeWyze, Nigel Lythgoe respond to ‘American Idol’ feud rumors

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Lee DeWyze turned to Twitter on Thursday evening to address rumors that a feud was brewing between him and ‘American Idol’ producer Nigel Lythgoe. Taking the upbeat approach, he tried to set the record straight about why he did not present the top prize to winner Scotty McCreery. However, Lythgoe didn’t exactly agree with what he had to say.

‘Hey everyone, first off I want to say congrats to Scotty & Lauren, awesome job. Well done Scotty! Secondly, just for the record... I was not asked to be involved in the Finale,’ DeWyze, last year’s ‘Idol’ winner, tweeted. ‘It wasn’t until about 2 minutes before they announced that Nigel had approached me and asked if he could ‘borrow’ me for a second. I didnt feel a last second jump on stage was appropriate. It was Scotty’s moment.’

He went on to write, “I appreciate American Idol, and the opportunity it has given me. And the people who have made that show possible. I am not angry, or bitter etc. It was an amazing Finale, and I would have loved to be a part of it. I just wasnt asked.Good luck to all the Contestants and stay true to yourself. Thanks everyone for your support, tour coming up... Good times :) I’ll talk to you all soon. Love ya!’

But Lythgoe isn’t changing his version of the events. He tweeted Friday, ‘I don’t wish to continue the @leedewyze story. True, he wasn’t asked to sing but Lee knows he was asked to present the trophy a week before.’

As the story goes, DeWyze was not asked to perform at the finale. Later when he was asked to present the winning trophy, he declined. He was then left out of the episode almost entirely, only seen in the background.

Does Lythgoe actually have the last word? It might be too soon to tell.

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Lee DeWyze snubs ‘American Idol,’ or is he just shy?

-- Emily Christianson

Top photo: Lee DeWyze. Credit: Mark Ashman / Associated Press. Bottom photo: Nigel Lythgoe. Credit: Danny Moloshok / Reuters.