Trans teen moved to tears after honest audition on ‘American Idol’ — and the judges had his back
'American Idol' judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan are always motivating contestants to give their best on the ABC singing competition. In February 2021, all the judges shared some inspiring words after the 16-year-old Ace Stiles performed an original song on the stage and candidly spoke about his coming-out story and the challenges that arose afterwards. According to People magazine, following Stiles' performance, Perry asked the budding singer, "Is Ace your real name?" In his response, Stiles went on to say, "Sure. I'm trans, so I get to pick my name. So technically it's my name."
In a video package, Stiles' mother, Colleen, explained, "A few years ago, we noticed that Ace went from very gregarious and outgoing to suddenly very withdrawn and quiet. We saw him go into a deep depression. Ace sat me down in his room and said, 'Mom, I have to tell you something. I'm a boy'. I said, 'Okay.'" Talking about his self-exploratory journey, Stiles quipped, "It became super confusing. I definitely had to come out to myself before I decided to come out to everybody else. When I was 14, I had a moment of realization, if you will."
Later in the episode, Stiles revealed how his mother stood strong by his side through it all. "My mom is definitely a big part of me being happy. It's amazing to be okay with yourself again. It's kind of like relearning how to love yourself," Stiles added. Then, Stiles delved deep into the traumatic experience in which he was not "allowed" to use either the men's or women's restroom. "They made me change in the closet. It wasn't fun and made me cry, but it's chill," Stiles shared.
Stiles exclaimed, "After coming out, I definitely felt better than I have in a long time. Everybody at home, I hope they see that it's okay to be yourself. I'm going to be myself. I didn't need any of you to tell me I'm not worth it. I am worth it, and I figured it out on my own. I like myself, and I wouldn't have it any other way because I think I'm pretty cool." Then, Perry told Stiles, "Ace, you're doing great, and it's going to get better and better and better."
Bryan enthused, "I feel like you're far smarter than your years. The only thing I'm dealing with is the introverted quietness of your voice. I think as you grow older, you'll be able to write songs in that realm, and I would totally anticipate that out of you, but I don't think it's quite ready for American Idol yet." On the other hand, Richie said, "Ace, I'm having a dilemma. I'm trying to figure out, when I hear your voice, if you commanded it. The curiosity of your voice is there."
Perry further elaborated, "Ace, I think you've got an interesting voice. It's definitely very vintage-y; it's definitely very quirky. I think you've got something worth investing in. It's going to get better in all the ways. The longer that you have more experience of life, of playing out, getting out of your comfort zone. Ace, we're here for you, and we support you. I see it in you. You're a quirky artist, but we want it long-term. We don't want a short situation for you, okay? It's a no for now, but I'm here for you." At that point, Stiles also got a no from Bryan. However, Richie gave a yes to Stiles and said, "Best class you ever took in your life right here. What we told you was your key to your future. I'm going to say yes to make you feel good about the fact that we believe in you." Meanwhile, Perry added, "It's going to come. Let it come. We love you."