Lee DeWyze opens up about feud with ‘American Idol’ producer Nigel Lythgoe

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Lee DeWyze and producer Nigel Lythgoe started feuding over the “American Idol” finale last week and one thing is certain; these two probably won’t be getting together for a beer summit any time soon.

“I can’t say there’s anything that’s made me want to go have a drink with the guy,” DeWyze told the Hollywood Reporter. “But who knows? Maybe I’ll run into him sometime and it will be a handshake and a hello.”

In a nutshell, DeWyze was never asked to perform at the Wednesday night finale, a bit of a surprise since he won the previous season. When he was later asked to present the trophy to winner Scotty McCreery, he declined, prompting Lythgoe to tweet about how upset he was. The two have been going back and forth about it ever since. At one point even DeWyze’s brother got involved, calling Lythgoe a “scumbag.”

“I think that once they realized that people were talking about the fact that I wasn’t performing, I was asked if I wanted to partake in some trophy situation,” DeWyze explained, finally opening up about the feud. “I didn’t know the details of it, but I know I didn’t need a consolation. I didn’t want them to throw me a bone because I didn’t perform, but besides that, in my mind, there was no reason for a past contestant to be onstage as the new Idol is crowned. It’s not the passing of the torch.”

After all this, the 25-year-old has only glowing things to say about the show that helped launch his career. “I’m definitely supportive of ‘American Idol’ and what it’s done for me, and I don’t think that the decision of a producer hinders my view of the show or what it does for people who want to be discovered.”

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

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-- Emily Christianson