Josh Duhamel Defends Ex Fergie's National Anthem Performance

By Dianne Gebauer/Feb. 23, 2018 2:58 pm EST

These exes still have each other's backs.

During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018, Josh Duhamel addressed Fergie's (real name Stacy Ann Ferguson) recent controversial performance of the national anthem.

"I know she's been slammed and hammered for this national anthem thing. That must be hard," DeGeneres said to her guest, adding that she feels "really bad" for the "Big Girls Don't Cry" singer. "How is she doing?"

"I think she would probably admit that it was not her best work, but the girl is crazy talented," Duhamel said. "She really is. She's an amazing woman — an amazing human being, really."

He continued, "It's hard to see somebody you care about get beat up like that. That's the business, you know? You're in this business. You put yourself out there. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose."

"Trust me, she's fine," Duhamel added. "She is about as resilient as they come."

As Nicki Swift previously reported, Fergie performed a confusing rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18, which was slammed for its sultry, jazzy vibe.

Celebs attending the game, such as Chance the Rapper, Joel Embiid, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Kimmel, were seen holding back their laughter, while social media users put the cringeworthy performance on blast.

One user called it "the worst rendition ever," while Khloé Kardashian wrote, "This All Star opening is confusing me. WTF is going on? Anyone?" And Roseanne Barr, who famously gave an out-of-tune performance of the song in 1990, tweeted, "Who saw Fergie's national anthem at the NBA All Star Game? I think mine was better lowkey."

Following the backlash, the "Fergalicious" hitmaker released a statement apologizing for the performance. "I've always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA," Fergie told TMZ. "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."