'American Idol' 2023: Who is Mickenley Brown? Meet the singer who almost DIED due to bullying

'American Idol' contestant Mikenley Brown's journey has been plagued with depression and anxiety
PUBLISHED MAR 26, 2023
'American Idol' Season 21 contestant Mikenley Brown grew up in a musical household (@mikenleyb/instagram)
'American Idol' Season 21 contestant Mikenley Brown grew up in a musical household (@mikenleyb/instagram)

NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE: Mikenley Brown, 17, recently had the opportunity of a lifetime when she auditioned for 'American Idol' in Nashville, Tennessee. She is one of the few lucky artists selected to perform live in front of celebrity judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan.

'American Idol' auditions are getting better each week as artists from all over the state vie to be the best of the best. In the previous weeks, a lot of skilled singers have advanced to Hollywood week and some were even offered platinum tickets like Elijha McCormick, Tyson Venegas, etc. In the upcoming March 26 auditions, Mikenley or more popularly known as Kenley, a young artist from New Castle will capture the audience with her beautiful voice. Kenley has been through some horrible ordeals in life and is still battling anorexia, anxiety, and depression. But music is her one saving grace, so continue reading to find out more about this young singer.

RELATED ARTICLES

'No way he's winning': Fans disagree with 'American Idol' judges as they hail Pjae's audition

'Was enjoying before Katy Perry butted in': 'American Idol' judge slammed for interrupting Mariah Faith's audition



 

Who is Mikenley Brown?

Kenley is a 17-year-old studying at Heartland Christian School. and comes from a musical family. Growing up wanted to be like Hannah Montana. Kenley was inspired by her great-grandfather to pursue music as he was in a band and always encourage her to chase her dreams as he believed she had a gift.

Before taking up small gigs recently, Kenley had only led worship at her local church with her mother and father. Kenley's journey has been riddled with anxiety, depression, and a battle with anorexia. The young artist has been bullied badly for her looks, fashion sense, and beliefs. The bullying started back in 2019 and it was so bad that Kenley hated to look at herself in a mirror and almost starved to death. Kenley had shared in an Instagram post, "I lost all my friends, sat at lunch by myself, cried in the bathroom multiple times a day, and started starving myself.”

The teenager had to be admitted to a hospital on multiple occasions because she kept getting sick. She also added, "WORDS HURT! I almost killed myself bcoz of the words people said to me." Through this, all Kenley relied on music and never lost focus on her dream. Kenley has also revealed that it was her mother and best friend who had saved her during the worst time in her life. Now Kenley has recovered, is happier, and is all set to take the next step in her musical career. Till now the singer hasn't released any original works, but she is working on writing some songs with her father and best friend. Meanwhile, Kenley keeps on posting covers on her TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram.



 

Mikenley Brown on 'American Idol' Season 21

The upcoming round of 'American Idol' auditions will feature Kenley, a rising singer from New Castle. During the audition, her father, Mike Brown, played the guitar. Her dad had teared up at her audition and said, "It's like watching her being born again." Don't forget to see whether Kenley lives up to the expectations and wins a golden ticket to Hollywood or not.

'American Idol' Season 21 airs every Sunday at 8 pm ET on ABC.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Netflix made intentional attempts to keep the suspense throughout Episode 6
17 hours ago
A key Intelligence officer is missing from the ‘One Chicago’ crossover, leaving fans bracing for an emotional reunion later on.
22 hours ago
Lady Danbury’s farewell raises questions as ‘Bridgerton’s most formidable figure steps away, but her story is far from finished
1 day ago
Kayce Dutton leaves the ranch behind as ‘Yellowstone’s’ new spinoff ‘Marshals’ premieres soon on CBS.
1 day ago
Amazon’s ‘God of War’ adaptation starts production with a quiet but loaded first image.
1 day ago
Does the prize money won by the winners of 'The Traitors' go into their pockets or do they donate it to their favorite charity, let's have a look.
1 day ago
'The Pitt' has struck gold with its episodic release format in its first two seasons, and now we've an update on the show's future.
1 day ago
Kate Hudson's sports drama was a ratings hit for Netflix when it premiered in 2025 and now there's good news for the fans.
1 day ago
Ogilvie and Javadi are baffled as a Margarita burn victim enters the ER at PTMC
1 day ago
A sharp new rival enters ‘Elle’ Season 2, ready to challenge young Elle Woods and shake up her high school world.
1 day ago