'American Idol' contestant quits after Katy Perry 'mom shaming' incident: 'My heart is at home'

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Monday, April 03, 2023

An "American Idol" contestant and mother of three who garnered much sympathy after critics accused judge Katy Perry of "mom shaming" abruptly quit the show after her "Hollywood Week" performance.

Leading up to her performance on "Hollywood Week," which aired on Sunday, Sara Beth Liebe described her entry into show business as "kind of overwhelming" and expressed concern that she failed to realize "quite how hard it would be to be away from my kids." She said, "there's a lot of guilt that comes when you leave your kids to do something like completely selfish."

After performing "Roxanne" by The Police and receiving a warm reception from the audience, Liebe declared, "This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually going to be my last performance," adding, "my heart's at home." She informed the audience and the judges that she was going to "get home to my babies" because "they kind of need me."

In a backstage interview, Liebe acknowledged that "it went a lot better than I thought it would" and doubled down on her decision. She went back in to see the judges after exiting the stage, where Katy Perry attempted to give her a pep talk, which began with her asserting that "life is scary."

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"I also know that it's easier to walk away than to be rejected, but then I also know that you lose out on your fullest potential, and I know that you love your family for your kids. I know that as a mother."

Perry urged her to remember that "self-love is just as big as motherly love" as she pleaded with her, "don't leave the competition." Off stage, Liebe remarked, "I feel like I'm not going to win the show anyway, so I might as well go home."

After the judges voted to advance Liebe and another group of singers, Perry told Liebe, "you've opened a door you never thought you would open, and you got a 'yes,' and you may get another 'yes' in the future. Do not give up."

As the segment came to a close, Liebe proclaimed, "I'm really humbled and grateful, and Katy had some really nice things to say." She indicated she was not changing her decision: "I understand how big of an opportunity this is. I still kind of want to go home."

Liebe predicted that she would "regret it" upon arriving home. The judges lamented that she would not be continuing in the competition.

When Liebe's audition aired last month, the judges expressed shock at her young age and that she already had three kids. This prompted Perry to act as if she was going to faint on the table, causing Liebe to remark, "If Katy lays on the table, I think I'm going to pass out."

"Honey, you've been laying on the table too much," Perry responded, referring to the fact that she had given birth three times. Perry continued to express reservations about Liebe's commitment to the competition, asking, "Is this your dream? Is it now?" She added, "If it's not your dream, you might need to leave because there's a lot of dreams behind you."

Perry's remarks sparked a firestorm of criticism, which led to Liebe addressing the situation in a TikTok video. She referred to Perry's "joke" as "not super kind," adding, "it was embarrassing to have that on TV, and it was hurtful." The aspiring singer seemed to agree that Perry's comments constituted "mom shaming," which she described as "super lame."

While Perry did appear to raise concerns about the impact her motherhood would have on her ability to participate in the competition, she was one of the two judges that voted to give Liebe the "golden ticket," enabling her to compete in "Hollywood Week." Luke Bryan also voted to advance her, while Lionel Richie marked himself down as a "no."

As she put the competition behind her, Liebe stated, "it would be nice if my kids were a little older," suggesting that she may pursue a singing career in the future.