Katy Perry struggles to hold back tears over unexpected family reunion on 'American Idol': "I found out..."
'American Idol' Season 22 was a mixed bag with its sentimental and funny moments as it also marked Katy Perry's final season as a judge. During the premiere, the 'Dark Horse' singer became visibly emotional while listening to contestant McKenna Breinholt’s heartfelt story. As per The Express, 25-year-old Breinholt auditioned with a moving cover of 'There Was Jesus' by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton. The Arizona native shared during the segment that she was adopted as a baby and that her late mother, Amy Ross Lopez, was a musician. The moment culminated in an emotional live reunion with her birth family, which even brought tears to the judges’ eyes. "No, I'm not crying. You're crying," Perry was caught saying while trying to hold back her emotions.
"I actually was adopted when I was born. My family has no musical talent whatsoever," Breinholt said during her audition. "I found out I was adopted as early as I was able to understand it. When I turned 21, I sat my parents down and asked them to tell me any information they had on my birth mom. I just wanted to know where I came from. They told me her name was Amy Ross Lopez and she had passed away. She was a musician who had been performing locally in Bisbee. It was a lot to process," she explained to the judges. The young artist went on to say that she got in touch with her birth family virtually.
The other day I was working with @dollyparton and we watched McKenna Breinholt’s audition performance of our song “There Was Jesus” on @AmericanIdol. Dolly saw it for the first time so we filmed this reaction. pic.twitter.com/3JJJhcRmh1
— Zach Williams (@zachwilliams) February 8, 2024
"And then just this last summer, I came into contact with my entire birth family and found out that they all sing. My birth family was looking for me for probably the last eight years. Knowing that I have another family out there who's equally excited to know and love me was amazing. You haven't met, or not in person, but we talked on FaceTime," she shared. Parton and Williams expressed their admiration for Breinholt after her mesmerizing performance. According to American Song Writer, Willams remarked that he liked the "rasp in her voice", while Parton added, “I love when people do our songs differently.”
Team Biggs was blessed to attend the grand opening of the East Valley 2024 #LightTheWorld Giving Machine in Gilbert.
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 18, 2024
Thank you to all who made this event possible, and to Gilbert’s own American Idol finalist McKenna Faith Breinholt for her moving performance! pic.twitter.com/m0oU9hZKYj
As per AZCentral, Breinholt faced elimination after reaching the top 8th position on 'American Idol' season 22. Judge Lionel Richie gave her a new nickname after her soulful cover of the Goo Goo Dolls 'Iris', calling her the "Queen of Smoky Voice." Breinholt dedicated the final song to her late mother who died due to lupus. This act reflected how she had previously paid tribute by singing a cover of her mother’s song, 'Tumbleweed', during her audition.
At the time, Perry asked Breinholt's biological family if the song resonated with the late musician's composition. To which, Breinholt's grandmother responded, "Oh, it's like a ghost." However, Breinholt claimed, "I just kind of wanted to honor her that way. And that's how I connect with her." She concluded, "It's about leaving your past behind and moving forward on your plans that you've had for yourself, not looking back."
