Carrie Underwood faced an online backlash from fans after showing support for gay marriage.

The 29-year-old singer spoke out on her views of same-sex unions during a newspaper interview.

She told The Associated Press about her questioning with another publication: ''I was asked a difficult question in the last five minutes of an interview and I answered it the best way I knew how, and after that I do what I do and I love making music and I generally try to stay out of any kind of controversy.''

The devout Christian singer - who tied the knot with Mike Fisher in 2010 - told the newspaper that she believes marriage should be legal for all.

Speaking to The Independent she said: ''As a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to marry.

''I can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love.''

She continued to AP: ''The role-model word is really scary to me, because no matter what happens in your life, something you do, wear, say, sing, whatever - somebody somewhere is probably not going to like it too well.''

''I just really try hard to do what I do and try to be nice to people and make great music and if people think they can look up to that, that's wonderful. If not, that's OK too.''