Jessica Mauboy has revealed her Melbourne Cup no-show was down to a "bad energy" before her performance.
The singer was due to sing the National Anthem on Cup day but at the last minute failed to appear, with her backing vocalist Nadia Aya stepping in to sing instead.
Mystery surrounded Mauboy's no-show with speculation it had something to do with her outfit, backed up by a statement from her management that cited a "miscommunication with her styling team".
In her first public appearance since the event on Thursday, Mauboy told reporters she was "devastated" by what happened but wouldn't go into details.
"I've worked very, very hard and I guess there was a lot of confusion on the day but I'm mostly devastated that I didn't get up and get to sing," she said.
"I'm a performer and I'm an entertainer and music is everything to me and I love singing."
On Friday she finally revealed that she had been unable to focus following an argument surrounding her clothes.
"Four minutes before I am about to be walked out from the green room, people on one side are bickering with people on another side and it started to suffocate me, it was crazy and I didn't know what to do," Mauboy told News Ltd.
"It was the scariest moment ever...
"All I could feel was all the bad energy coming from people, time stopped and I could see it all going on around me, I could see me stuck on the lounge and I'm thinking `Why aren't you getting up and getting going?' It was really horrible."
The exact details of the wardrobe dispute have not been revealed although it was reported that Myer, a major backer of the event, took issue with Mauboy's brand of footwear.
The retailer distanced itself from the matter, telling AAP "it was a matter for the VRC".
Victoria Racing Club boss Simon Love said Mauboy was fitted out in a "mutually approved wardrobe" for the Melbourne Cup performance.
In a statement to Fairfax Media on Thursday, Love said the club had a duty to protect the exclusive rights of its sponsors.
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