When Sara Beth Liebe auditioned in front of judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan, they called her an “accidental American Idol.” So, they were left stunned when Sara Beth announced suddenly that she quit American Idol Season 21 right after her first performance in Hollywood Week. The judges tried to convince her to stay, but she remained adamant about her decision. After the episode aired, Sara Beth took to social media to clear up some things about her departure.
Why did Sara Beth leave ‘American Idol’?
Hollywood Week began on Sunday, April 2’s episode of American Idol. The contestants had to choose one of three areas to work on — confidence, stage presence, or songwriting — with help from Idol alums Clay Aiken, Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta, Phillip Phillips, Catie Turner, and Justin Guarini.
Sara Beth, a 25-year-old mom of three from California, worked with Clay on her confidence. She admitted that she had never experienced show business until she came to Idol, and it was a bit overwhelming to her.
“I don’t feel like I fit the mold, so I’m trying to figure this all out,” she said.
The young mother also admitted that she was struggling with being away from her kids. Sara Beth performed “Roxanne” by The Police in front of the judges, and they seemed impressed.
However, at the end of her song, she said, “This opportunity is really rad, but this actually is 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. Thank you.”
Sara Beth ran off the stage, leaving the judges stunned and confused. Katy insisted that she needed to get to the bottom of Sara Beth’s decision. The judge urged her to stay, telling Sara Beth she could “lose out on her fullest potential” by leaving. While Sara Beth was thankful for the faith Katy had in her, she still felt like she needed to go home.
Sara Beth took to TikTok and Twitter after she quit ‘American Idol’
Sara Beth’s quitting received mixed responses from viewers. Some understood Sara Beth’s desire to be with her kids, while others felt she was throwing away a good opportunity. She responded to a few comments on Twitter, as seen above, revealing that she was scouted to audition for American Idol and didn’t sign up herself.
“I didn’t seek this opportunity out but thought I’d take a chance and see. My heart is grateful and full of music,” Sara Beth added.
Sara Beth also shared a video on TikTok that was recorded right after her audition. The clip showed her having a panic attack due to the overwhelming support she had from the judges. Sara Beth shared a message over the video, reiterating how grateful she was for the opportunity to be on American Idol. She wrote:
“Sometimes we are presented with big opportunities and situations and we have to make big decisions. … I’ve never had this much support with singing. And it’s mindblowing and so humbling and has made me realize how badly I want to do music. Six months ago, I didn’t know that yet. But I’m also allowed to make hard choices that are best for me. I took a chance on something big and said yes to a huge and VERY UNEXPECTED opportunity that was presented to me. And while it may not have been for me, in the process I found myself again, met the most talented people I’ve ever had the HONOR of meeting (many of which are now close friends) and … fell in love with music again.”
Sara Beth’s audition went viral after a mom-shaming comment from Katy Perry
Sara Beth previously made headlines for her audition, during which Katy made a comment that left some fans feeling uneasy. When Sara Beth revealed her age and that she had three kids, Katy said she had been “laying on the table too much.” Many viewers thought this comment was rude and that Katy continued to “bully” Sara Beth throughout her audition.
After the audition aired, Sara Beth posted a video on TikTok to share her thoughts. She said it was “embarrassing” to hear Katy say that on TV. Sara Beth also added that “mom-shaming” was “super lame.” However, Sara Beth has not indicated that Katy’s comments in her audition influenced her decision to quit American Idol.
New episodes of American Idol air on Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.
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