‘Ready to keep going:’ Canadian singer who faced social media criticism after U.S. anthem performance responds

Cassandra DiFruscio performing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' during a San Francisco 49ers-Seattle Seahawks game at Levi's Stadium. (Instagram/@cassandra_music)

Cassandra DiFruscio has sung “The Star-Spangled Banner” about 100 times during pro-sports games but, for the first time ever, her nationality as a Canadian drew fire from some American viewers during an NFL game over the weekend.

At a San Francisco 49ers home game against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, country music star Craig Morgan had finished performing “God Bless America” before it was DiFruscio’s time to take the mic to sing the U.S. anthem.

DiFruscio, who originally hails from Niagara-on-the-Lake but now calls Tennessee home, says she has never kept her nationality a secret—she even includes she’s a “Canadian Nashvillian” in her Instagram profile—but on Saturday night, dozens of Americans took to social media to question why she was singing their patriotic tune.

One X user even opined how it seems “weird” to have a Canadian sing The Star-Spangled Banner.

The reaction was subsequently picked up by a number of international publications. Britain’s The Daily Mail published a piece about the social media uproar under the headline ‘The Star Spangled Surprise" and suggested that some NFL fans were “fuming” over DiFruscio’s nationality.

DiFruscio said it was the first time she had ever received this sort of feedback, adding that she does not take it personally and is primarily focused on her work.

“I’m just focused singing, and anthem performances can be emotional and subjective,” DiFruscio said. I’m definitely not the first person that people criticize for the anthem.”

The singer says she had no clue what was going on online because of the positive feedback she received in real-time at the stadium, with hordes of fans cheering in support and the 49ers organization showering her with kindness.

“They really, really were supportive,” DiFruscio said, noting how great of an experience she had leaving Levi’s Stadium that day.

The 32-year-old singer and songwriter has been living in the U.S. for nearly 10 years, currently living in Nashville, Tenn. Following a similar tune of musicians’ past, DiFruscio says she has always been drawn to music and continues to follow the path of being a singer outside of performing at professional sports games, spanning leagues outside the NFL, including FIFA.

“I started doing the anthems at my older brother’s Junior B hockey games in the Niagara Region, singing ‘O Canada.’ I think I was 14,” DiFruscio said.

“I do a lot of the away games for the Blue Jays, the Raptors, the Leafs, like any of the Canadian teams, I tend to be at those games, but I usually will sing both anthems at that game.”

The negative comments aren’t keeping her down from singing the anthem again at future sporting events, DiFruscio said, hours before she is set to perform the anthems again at an away game for the Toronto Raptors against the Charlotte Hornets.

“I am just excited to perform it more, to be honest, I am ready to keep going,” she said.

CTV News Toronto contacted the NFL and the San Francisco 49ers for comment but did not receive a response.