Carly Rose Sonenclar's 'How Do I Live' duet with LeAnn Rimes on the 'X Factor' finale was a mess, thanks largely to Rimes' erratic singing, which may have contributed to 13-year-old Sonenclar's failure to win the 'X Factor' title. Rimes actually issued a statement claiming that it was Carly Rose who was off-key and nervous, which has the teen's family fuming.

TMZ says that Sonenclar's mother and other family members are shocked and upset that Rimes would publicly criticize the young singer, especially when it was Rimes who seemed out of it. The site describes her mom as "livid" at Rimes' words.

The family was infuriated by comments Rimes made after the show. Many viewers speculated that Rimes had been drunk during the performance, which caused the country singer to issue a statement explaining that she was just trying to cover for her nervous partner. "I was trying to help this 13-year-old girl who was having some trouble with the song," Rimes said. Her lawyer added, "LeAnn was not performing the way she would normally perform, because she was on stage with a young girl."

TMZ says that Rimes is now claiming she never made that comment, but the site stands by its report, saying that her rep offered the quote and specifically said they could print it. Thursday, Rimes tweeted, "In my 18 years of performing, I have never been anything but professional onstage. It is a shame that gossip and lies are overshadowing the performance of Carly, a very talented young girl."

Sonenclar ultimately finished second to country singer Tate Stevens during the competition, and it's hard to say how much effect the shaky duet with Rimes had on the final voting. Most observers feel Carly Rose still could have a successful singing career ahead of her, but she sure would have loved to win that $5 million record deal.

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