Why Fan Favorite Sara Beth Unexpectedly Quit ‘American Idol’
Hit All the High Notes
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American Idol saw a rare elective departure in the sixth episode of Season 21 when 25-year-old mom of three Sara Beth opted to leave the competition.
Sara Beth already had some memorable moments this season, namely her audition that featured a remark from judge Katy Perry that some viewers regarded as slut-shaming and Sara Beth considered mom-shaming. When the red-headed musician first auditioned and revealed her age and her number of kids, Perry mock-fainted in her seat.
“If Katy lays on the table, I think I’m going to pass out!” the singer said in response. Perry’s response is what drew ire. “Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much!” she quipped. Sara Beth laughed in the moment, but later said in a TikTok that the comment was “hurtful” and she felt mom-shamed.
“Katy Perry made a joke that wasn’t super kind,” Sara Beth said in the video after fans asked how she was feeling about the comment. “It was embarrassing to have that on TV, and it was hurtful,” she continued. “I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool and I think that mom-shaming is super lame and I think that it’s hard enough to be a mom and it’s hard enough to be a woman.”
The contestant has been a mom since she was 18 and has been pursuing her music career for less than one year. During the April 2 episode, which showcased the first performances of Hollywood Week and featured mentoring from Idol alums like Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken, Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta, and more, it wasn’t her dynamic with Perry that made her want to leave. Rather, she missed her young children and no longer thought the competition was worth it.
“This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually going to be my last performance, because my heart’s at home,” she told judges Perry, Lionel Ritchie, and Luke Bryan. “So, I’m going to get home to my babies. They kind of need me.”
“A big part of me feels like I’m not cut out for show business,” Sara Beth admitted at another point in the episode. “I don’t even know what show business is.”
“I’ve been a mom since I was 18. I’ve been married since I was 18. … I don’t think I realized quite how hard it would be to be away from my kids,” she added. “They’re all still really young. … There is a lot of guilt when you leave your kids to do something completely selfish.”
She was also seen telling a producer backstage, “I feel like I’m not gonna win the show anyway, so I might as well go home.”
Sara Beth had gotten mentoring from Aiken and performed what he called an “infectiously lovely” version of The Police’s “Roxanne.” Following her performance, Perry, Ritchie, and Bryan urged Sara Beth to stay and continue pursuing her musical dreams.
ABC/Eric McCandless
“What just happened? She’s gonna leave? What just happened?” Ritchie reacted to her departure announcement in shock. Bryan said her decision “was a mistake.” Perry had Sarah come back to the stage so she could tell her, “I know life is scary. I also know that it’s easier to walk away than to be rejected. But then I also know that you lose out on your fullest potential. I know you love your family, your kids; I know that as a mother. But self-love is just as big as motherly love. Don’t leave the competition.”
The trio of panelists revealed their intentions to progress her to the next round. “You’ve opened a door you thought you’d never open, and you got a yes. And you may get another yes in the future. Do not give up,” Perry urged. But the pleas were to no avail. Sara Beth had made up her mind.
“I’m really humbled and grateful, and Katy had some really nice things to say. It would be nice if my kids were a little older. I understand how big of an opportunity this is,” she said as she left the theater. “But I still kind of want to get home. I am sure when I get home, I will regret it and be like, ‘Man, you should have stayed.’”
Sara Beth may have been a “hidden gem” and “accidental idol,” as Perry described her, but some people just don’t enjoy competition.
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