‘American Idol’ Winner Hannah Harper Praises Her “Mr. Mom” Husband for Support: “He Has Sacrificed”

On Monday, Hannah Harper took her first major step to stardom when she was named the latest American Idol. Beating out Jordan McCullough and Keyla Richardson, Harper shared her excitement with family and friends as she prepared to hit the ground running. Already announcing she was going on tour, the singer took a moment to thank those who had continuously supported her dream over the years. But according to Harper, nothing compared to the sacrifices her husband made. 

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Competing on American Idol isn’t a weekend experience. Taking months to produce a single season, most contestants remember the vast distance between them and their loved ones. Even Harper insisted, “I cried a lot. I can’t wait to be home with them. All day, I was just pretending like it wasn’t the day. It was hard.” 

But while missing her children, Harper highlighted the massive support shown by her husband. “My husband [Devon Mendenhall] has had to sacrifice everything so that I could be here, and we basically just had to reverse roles — which has been confusing for everyone, because a man is not ‘built’ to do that.” 

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Hannah Harper Thanks Husband In Special Way

While millions of fans watched Harper week after week, the singer focused on her family at home. Having her husband take over the entire family, she explained, “He’s had to give up his entire life, his work, to be Mr. Mom. And he’s stepped up admirably and done a great job. I could never repay him for all the things that he has sacrificed.”

Eternally grateful for the husband’s support, Harper looked to honor him in a special way. And being an American Idol, she used her talents to celebrate the man she married. “That man has never made me feel like my flame should be any dimmer than it needs to be. I actually wrote a song [about Mendenhall]. It’s called ‘My Hero, A Simple Man.’” 

Although standing at the top of American Idol, Harper promised it was a team effort. “As much as I would like to say that [this American Idol win] was my own doing, if I didn’t have a village of people behind me, there’s no way that I would have been able to.” 

With American Idol now behind her, Harper appeared ready to embrace the next chapter of her career while keeping her family close to her heart. 

(Photo by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)