Judge Katy Perry, who made a controversial joke about Sara Beth Liebe being a 25-year-old mother of three, unsuccessfully tried to convince her to stay.
After receiving backlash for comments labeled as “mom-shaming” during Sara Beth Liebe’s “American Idol” audition, judge Katy Perry tried to convince the same 25-year-old mother of three to stay on the show.
The episode, which aired on April 2, initially shows competitor Liebe anxiously evaluating her time thus far, saying the whole experience has been “overwhelming” for “someone like (her),” who hadn’t pursed a music career previously. “I don’t even know what show business is,” she said.
To boost her confidence, “American Idol” alum Clay Aiken came on the show as her coach, listening to Liebe sing “Roxanne” by The Police and telling her that it’s understandable that the pressure can get to her head. Aiken added that her initial audition had been “infectiously lovely.”
“If you fake it one time, you can have it,” Aiken told her. “It worked for me; it’s going to work for you.”
Married since she was 18, Liebe felt out of place on the show, saying she felt she “didn’t fit the mold of a competitive singer.”
“I don’t think I realized quite how hard it would be to be away from my kids,” Liebe continued. “They’re all still really young.”
At first, the mother of three said she planned to “try (her) best” since she’d made it this far. However, Liebe struggled with being away from her family.
“There’s a lot of guilt that comes when you leave your kids to do something completely selfish. I’m just going to try to keep my head on straight,” she said.
After she got up to sing, Liebe stood before the judges and announced her difficult decision to leave “American 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 need me, so thank you,” she said, before leaving the stage.
Stunned, the judges asked each other what had just happened. “What just happened? Is she going to leave?” judge Lionel Ritchie asked. Perry responded, “We’re going to figure this out.” Luke Bryan said, of Liebe’s decision, “That’s a mistake.”
Bringing Liebe back to the stage, Perry attempted give her a pep talk, mother-to-mother. Perry shares her 2-year-old daughter Daisy with Orlando Bloom.
“Sara Beth, 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. And I know that you love your family for your kids. I know that as a mother,” Perry said. “But remember, self love is just as big as motherly love. Don’t leave the competition.”
