There’s been a shakeup on American Idol.
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In the midst of the first Hollywood Week, two contestants have dropped out, Sara Beth Liebe and Kaya Stewart. Liebe, a 25-year-old mother of three who was married and had her first child at age 18, delivered a rugged, acoustic cover of the Police’s “Roxanne” that warranted a warm reaction from judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie and a standing ovation from the audience. But after the performance, Liebe announced she was departing Idol.
“This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually going to be my last performance because my heart’s at home, so I’m going to get home to my babies, they kind of need me,” Liebe said emotionally, thanking the judges before exiting the stage.
With Perry asserting, “We’re going to figure this out,” the judges called Liebe back to the stage. “I know life is scary, I also know that it’s easier to walk away than to be rejected,” Perry professed. “But then I also know that you lose out on your fullest potential. And I know that you love your family for your kids. I know that as a mother. But remember, self-love is just as big as motherly love.” Despite Perry’s best efforts, Liebe decided to quit.
After her audition aired in March 2023, Liebe took to Tik Tok to address comments Perry made during the audition, such as when Perry joked that she was going to lie down on the table after hearing that the singer was 25 and had three kids. “Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much,” she quipped. “It was embarrassing to have that on TV and it was hurtful,” Liebe said, adding that Perry’s joke “wasn’t super kind. I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool and I think that mom-shaming is super lame.”
Liebe isn’t the only contestant that’s dropped out. On the second night of Hollywood Week, Stewart, who’s the daughter of the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, also announced that she was exiting too due to an undisclosed illness. Before taking the stage for what was supposed to be a duet of “Whataya Want From Me” (Adam Lambert) with fellow contestant Fire, Stewart abruptly announced she was leaving the show.
“I got sick at the beginning of Hollywood Week and I have been trying to push myself and keep going,” she explained while praising Fire as “talented” and “so incredible.” “I realized I wasn’t able to give 100 percent. So, I’ve decided to not perform but Fire is going to perform and I’m really grateful that I got to be here, and thank you guys but I’m not going to be performing,” she continues, confirming Perry’s question if this means she’s leaving the competition. “Yes. So me not performing today means I’m no longer going to be in the competition,” Stewart replied, leaving the stage in tears.
American Idol airs on Sunday and Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless
