Sunday night was an emotional one for country superstar Carrie Underwood who made her first public appearance since a fall in November left her with a broken wrist and more than 40 stitches in her face.
Underwood took the stage during the 2018 ACM Awards where she performed her new single, “Cry Pretty.” As her fellow country stars walked the red carpet prior to the event, fans were hopeful that they would get their first glimpse of the American Idol champ. But, she didn’t appear on the carpet and a new report appears to give us an explanation of why.
An unnamed Nashville source spoke to PEOPLE and claimed that Carrie was nervous to return to the spotlight and was concerned about how people would react.
“She ended up skipping the red carpet because she didn’t want to be bombarded with questions about the accident,” the insider said. “It’s the most shaken anyone has ever seen her … this whole ordeal. She was terrified of people seeing the scars.”
Carrie appeared visibly shaken following her performance Sunday night when she received an impressive standing ovation. Moments after leaving the stage, Underwood returned to accept the Vocal Event of the Year award alongside Keith Urban for their collaboration on “The Fighter.” A tearful Carrie thanked fans and Keith Urban saying, “Thank you for having me. I’m still kinda shaky right now. Thank you, guys. Thank you, country radio.”
For months leading up to the ACMs, Underwood maintained a low profile and stayed out of the spotlight which increased speculation about the severity of her injuries. But, if her return Sunday night was any indication, Carrie Underwood had nothing to worry about as fans and her fellow country stars came out in full force online to show their support.
Watch Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban accept their ACM Award for Vocal Event of the Year in the video below.