Carrie Underwood is facing online criticism over her appearance and her presence at a star-studded tribute to country music icon Dolly Parton, who passed away peacefully in August.
Social media users took issue with the country star being part of the event and her look, dubbed the “Mar-a-Lago Face” or “MAGA face,” which has been associated with women close to the Trump Administration.
The recent social media controversy against Carrie Underwood follows the previous backlash she faced after she agreed to perform at President Donald Trump’s Inauguration in 2025.
Carrie Underwood’s Appearance At Dolly Parton Tribute Event Sparks Backlash
Underwood attended “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton” on Wednesday, October 21, along with other stars to celebrate the late icon’s influence, career, and legacy.
According to a news outlet, while the singer dazzled in a strapless pale pink-and-white ballgown adorned with floral embroidery and sparkling details, it was ultimately her makeup and complexion that many commenters focused on.
One social media user in an Instagram post noted that Underwood looked “frightening.” Another was shocked that she would be invited to the event despite being a “huge MAGA and not tolerant of anyone but whites.”
Some saw the country star as having political views opposite to what Parton stood for, while others focused on her bronzed complexion. “They went through a lot of orange spray paint at this event,” a commenter joked.
Another stated that “The Mar-a-Lago face coming in strong for Carrie Underwood,” connecting her look to figures linked to Trump’s political orbit.
Yet another took issue with Underwood’s inclusion, declaring that “Carrie is MAGA! She has no business in a Dolly celebration. Dolly represented love. MAGA is hateful.”
Amid the scrutiny, several slammed the “cruel” treatment of the singer, claiming that she hasn’t changed much and looks fine.
About The Country Star’s So-Called ‘Mar-a-Lago’ Face
A huge point of criticism against Underwood was her “Mar-a-Lago” face, a term used to describe a specific cosmetic aesthetic associated with personalities in Trump’s political orbit.
Vanity Fair defined the look as featuring high brows as well as “cartoonishly inflated lips,” frozen skin likely from Botox injections, with eyes barely open and appearing to have been pulled “sideways and up.”
Other reports have similarly described it as a “hyper-polished, artificial look” identified by “overfilled cheeks and lips, Botox-frozen skin, sculpted jawlines, bright white veneers, spray-tanned skin, and vivid lipstick.”
According to Express U.S., fans said that Underwood had been “MAGA-fied,” and Dr. Gizem Seymenoglu told the outlet that her brows look more “elevated,” pointing out that the singer may have had “Botox around the outer eye area.”
Seymenoglu also noted that the singer had a lifted and naturally full appearance which “might be more consistent with biostimulatory injectables which work gradually by encouraging the skin to produce more collagen over time.”
“The jawline looks quite firm and well-supported, so it’s possible that energy-based procedures such as radiofrequency microneedling, like Morpheus8, may have been used to help improve skin tightness and contour,” the doctor added.
Carrie Underwood Previously Faced Criticism For Her Donald Trump Inauguration Performance
The criticism at Parton’s tribute echoed an earlier controversy that saw Underwood under fire for her connection to Trump and his administration, although she has yet to directly express support for the president.
Underwood agreed to perform “America the Beautiful” at Trump’s presidential inauguration last year, which resulted in significant backlash as fans took her participation as support for the president.
“Of course Carrie Underwood’s white country -ss is a Trump supporter,” a comment reportedly read at the time, with another suggesting that there were already signs she was affiliated with Trump.
The “Before He Cheats” singer said she agreed to the performance because she loves the country and felt honored to “sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event.”
“I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future,” she added.
The Former ‘Idol’ Winner Performed A Cover Of ‘I Will Always Love You’
The political controversy surrounding Underwood has partly overshadowed her beautiful performance of Parton’s powerful 1973 hit song “I Will Always Love You,” which she used to pay tribute to the legend.
According to People Magazine, her performance was the closing act, and she received a standing ovation as her cover had impressed the people in attendance.
Reba McEntire and Brad Paisley reportedly joined her on stage for the chorus during the tribute event.
While many took issue with her invitation because of what she may represent, others got “goosebumps” from her performance and praised her for the tribute, calling her the “perfect person” to close out the show.
Dolly Parton Considered Carrie Underwood Her ‘Dear Friend’
The late music icon was reportedly good friends with Underwood, as the two had a lot in common being female country stars and businesswomen.
As reported by Nicki Swift, Underwood loved Parton and wanted to be like her. She said, “If you ask me to talk about one artist that I want to be like, not just in music or voice or not just in any one area, I would choose Dolly Parton.”
She added that she loved the country legend for many reasons, including her belief that Parton “blazed such a trail for all of us women who are in country music right now.”
Parton had once introduced Underwood as a “dear friend” whose “incredible talent” she “always admired.”
The “Coat of Many Colors” singer added that she was impressed with Underwood’s “compassion, kindness, generosity, and, most of all, the powerful faith that we both share.”
