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Who is Ace Stiles? 'American Idol' fans say judges made a 'terrible mistake' rejecting transgender teenager

Ace, 16, from Tulsa was rejected by the judges for not being ready enough for the competition, leaving fans raging

Ace Stiles was one of the many people who left 'American Idol' after being rejected by the judges. Ace was the first transgender teenager, all of 16 years, to have auditioned for Season 19 of the show. He came to the auditions with his mother Colleen and in a confessional, Ace credited her for playing a "big part" in him being happy with who he is. 

The Tulsa native came to the auditions armed with his guitar and a rainbow shoulder strap. Ace performed an original song he wrong titled 'Addicted', and even made a small joke about it saying it wasn't about drugs because he was 16 and it was illegal. Ace definitely had the vocal chops but the judges felt that he could work on shedding away the shyness that reflected in his singing and songwriting. They added that he'd be phenomenal if he did away with being an introvert. 

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Ace looked at the judges expecting a yes from them but was left in tears when none of them thought he was worthy of a chance this year. Fans watching this from home were left raging over their decision. Just before Ace, Cuban-American Yurisbel had come to the audition room with dreams of becoming the next Mr Worldwide aka Pitbull. He performed to 'Fireball' and the judges sang and danced with him before sending him away with a golden ticket for the sole reason that they felt he could be a "mascot of fun". 

There are no second thoughts about Yurisbel being a ball of energy but the fact that he received a go ahead and Ace's dreams to make it into the competition were nipped in the bud didn't sit well with audiences. "The judges made a really terrible mistake with Ace Stiles. What a slap in the face to see that after they let through that joke of an audition from the guy who sang Pitbull #AmericanIdol," wrote a fan.

"Kinda definitely annoyed with @LukeBryanOnline and @LionelRichie for sending Mr. Miami to Hollywood but sending Ace Stiles home. #AmericanIdol," another wrote. "So... Fireball guy goes through to Hollywood, but Ace Stiles doesn't?!! WTAF?!! Uggh!! #AceStiles #AmericanIdol," another tweet read. "Is anybody else miffed that Yurisbel went to Hollywood and Ace Stiles didnt? smdh #AmericanIdol #auditions," wrote another fan on Twitter.

Who is Ace Stiles on 'American Idol'?

Singer and songwriter Ace's mother Colleen said in a video, "A few years ago we noticed Ace went from a very gregarious to outgoing to suddenly very withdrawn and quite. We saw him go into a deep depression." Ace was confused about what was happening but at age 14 he realized his situation and that's when he sat his mom down and told her 'I am a boy." Colleen had a huge part to play in Ace being okay with himself and relearning how to love himself. 

Ace also opened up about the sad parts of his life. For instance, during the school play, he wasn't allowed to change in any of the dressing rooms and had to change in the closet. "It wasn't fun, made me cry, but it's chill," the teen said, who according to Colleen has "never shown any bitterness or anger" over any of the situations life has thrown at him. You can keep up with Stiles on Instagram, his handle is @acehasstiles.