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'American Idol' fans heartbroken after Adin Boyer fails to secure partner for duet

Adin said he was there to raise awareness about the struggles that people with autism face

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: During Hollywood Week's 'American Idol' Duets Round, the pressure cooker erupted. Those who made it through the Performance Round this season were charged with selecting their companions. Katy Perry compared it to "American Idol Hunger Games". But it was especially challenging for one autistic singer, who was left stranded after failing to find a duet companion for his performance.

'American Idol' Season 21, Episode 8 featured the Duets Challenge on Monday night. This portion of Hollywood Week is always extra stressful for competitors because it tests their cooperation and patience. This year's variation adds to the strain, as everyone chooses their own duet companion rather than the judges. So what caused Adin Boyer to find himsel stranded?

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Was Adin snubbed due to his condition?

Adin, who is autistic, was overcome by the prospect of selecting a singing companion. At one point, he burst into tears. He couldn't handle it. Finally, he was the only one without a companion. Adin's social anxiety made choosing a duet companion difficult. He was having difficulty finding someone and had to pause to gather himself. Because there were an odd number of vocalists, Jayna Elise, Summer Joy, and Adin made a trio.

Adin was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Adin grew up in an "artsy" home where his mother was an actor and his father was a middle-school band director and guitarist, and he became a formally trained drummer at the request of his parents, who soon noticed his musical ability. Adin also revealed that he has hearing sensory problems and that abrupt loud sounds "traumatize" him. He almost skipped a Coldplay performance due to a harrowing aural experience he had days before, but he eventually chose to go, and the concert cemented his desire to pursue music as a full-time job.

'TERRIFYING'

Fans sent out support to Adin, as one Redditor wrote, "i really felt for adin there the concept of having to choose a group member out of all those people sounds TERRIFYING." Another person chimed in, "Agreed, sounds like an unfair position to put him in, especially the calling him up on stage *knowing* they had an odd number of people." Another fan agreed saying, "yeah they should’ve let everyone know in advance there would be a trio because of course someone is gonna be singled out and confused when there’s no more groups left."

Fans on Twitter also seemed happy that Adin chose to show his vulnerability in front of the judges. One tweeted, "This may be an unpopular opinion but I'm glad Adin allowed American Idol to show him struggling and having a meltdown. I think it's important that people see that side of Autism and show people that we adults have meltdowns too."

'American Idol' Season 21 airs every Sundays and Mondays at 8.pm ET on ABC.

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