The season 24 premiere of “American Idol” on January 26, 2026, ended with judge Carrie Underwood in tears, and likely millions of viewers were wiping tears from their eyes, too.
Fifteen-year-old Khloe Grace’s audition began with an introduction by Heather Wyatt, the mother of Aubreigh Paige Wyatt, who died by suicide at age 13 in September 2023. After Khloe heard Aubreigh’s story of enduring extensive bullying in middle school, she was inspired to write and release a song called “Forever 13” in November 2024, per WJXT.
Aubreigh Wyatt’s Mom ‘Immediately Cried’ Hearing Khloe Grace’s Song ‘Forever 13’
Heather said she “immediately cried” when she first heard Khloe’s song about her daughter, telling producers, “It was beautiful. It was what Aubreigh had gone through. Aubreigh is my forever 13-year-old daughter. She is bright, she is beautiful, talented, and she endured years of bullying, social media pressures, and took her life September 4th, 2023.”
Heather has never publicly named the four girls who bullied Aubreigh, according to Newsweek, but she has spoken widely about what happened and has “called for people to be held accountable.” In February 2025, her family filed a lawsuit against the Mississippi school district where Aubreigh attended middle school, according to the Sun Herald.
“Something kept telling me to write that song, so I did,” Khloe told “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest outside the audition room. When she walked inside, she was surprised to see Aubreigh’s mom standing there, crumpling into tears as they hugged for the first time.
Before performing, the Jacksonville, Florida, high school student explained to Underwood and fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie that although she’d never met Aubreigh, she wanted to shed light on the dangers of bullying after hearing her story.
Carrie Underwood Cries While Telling Khloe Grace What an Impact She Can Make
DisneyThe judges were already choked up even before she sang her original song, but Underwood couldn’t hold it together once Khloe began to perform, singing, “She was 13, had some big dreams, and you took ’em all away. She had her whole life ahead of her, and you watched her drift away.”
“To be a mom and lose her daughter must feel so surreal,” Khloe sang later in the song, as Heather cried nearby and Underwood struggled to keep her composure. “Like, ‘How can she be gone?’ She blames herself for doing wrong, but I hope that she knows it ain’t her fault.”
Once Khloe finished her performance, Underwood told her, “I feel like the maturity that you possess is quite incredible.”
“The way you had your heart broken for someone you didn’t even know,” Underwood continued through tears, “and take that and basically say that something positive is going to come out of it. And to potentially even think about all the people that hear that and see you and hear this story, and maybe decide to change their mind about something, you know, it’s pretty incredible.”
Bryan told Khloe that she “could really do a lot of good in this world” with her songwriting, and Richie said it was a “very moving” moment. All three judges sent Khloe through to the next round, Hollywood Week, where she’ll compete against every other contestant who makes it through the auditions.
The next night of “American Idol” auditions will air on February 2 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to reach the toll-free Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (dial 888-628-9454 for assistance in Spanish). You can also speak with a trained crisis counselor anytime by texting HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
She deserves to move on. She has a Beautiful voice and I think she will go far .