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Published: Thursday, November 24, 2005

Fantasia Claims '20/20' Contrived Story of Her "Illiteracy"
American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino has accused ABC News of manipulating an interview it taped with her for 20/20 to make it appear that she was illiterate. In the feature, interviewer Deborah Roberts said in her narration, "Fantasia admits that while charming American television viewers and wooing the judges to become a pop star, she was hiding the fact that she was barely able to read or write." The camera then switched to Barrino, who remarked, "You're illiterate to just about everything. You don't want to misspell. So that for me kept me in a box, and I wouldn't come out." Roberts then remarked, "Her illiteracy kept her from even trying to get a job before her stint on television." Barrino was then seen remarking, "I was so ashamed, and I was like, 'What will people say about me? I can't get a job.'" However, in the current issue of Jet magazine, Barrino remarks, "I'm not illiterate. I just have some strong struggles and some situations that I'm not strong in. Every chance I get to speak out about it, I'm going to clear it up and let them know that I am not a dummy."