15-Year-Old ‘American Idol’ Hopeful Moves Judges to Tears With Original Song About Suicide Prevention

American Idol’s season premiere ended in emotional fashion. The last audition of the night came from 15-year-old Khloe Grace, who penned a song after learning that Aubreigh, a teenager she didn’t know, died by suicide as a result of bullying.

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Aubreigh’s mom, Heather, walked in to introduce Khloe to judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood. She revealed that her daughter died by suicide in 2023 after enduring years of bullying. After the fact, Heather came across Khloe’s song and “immediately cried.”“It was beautiful,” Heather said of the song, which is titled “Forever 13.” “It was what Aubreigh had gone through.”

Khloe didn’t know Aubreigh personally, but felt called to write a song about her struggles. When Khloe walked in to audition, she didn’t know that Heather was there. When she saw the late teen’s mom, though, Khloe broke down in tears and hugged her.

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Khloe composed herself, before telling the judges that, while she didn’t know Aubreigh, she experienced some of the same things that she did.

With that, Khloe performed an emotional rendition of “Forever 13,” during which Heather cried the whole time.

The judges were likewise touched, with Lionel saying he was “so moved,” Carrie praising Khloe as “pretty incredible,” and Luke insisting that the teen “could really do a lot of good in the world.”

The judges were quick to deliver yeses all around, after which they left the table to offer hugs to the teen and the grieving mother.“ You’ve been one of my biggest inspirations since I was seven years old,” Khloe told Carrie after receiving a hug from the country superstar.“Well now who’s the inspiration?” Carrie replied. “It’s pretty incredible.”

American Idol airs Mondays on ABC.

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available. In the U.S., you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat via 988lifeline.org. If you’re outside the U.S., local resources can be found at findahelpline.com.

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