‘American Idol’ Winner’s Husband Surprises Her With the Dream Proposal He Never Gave Her

11 years after saying “I Do” in a courthouse, Fantasia got the proposal of a lifetime. The American Idol winner performed a Valentine’s Day show in Houston, Texas and her husband, Kendall Taylor, surprised her on stage with an 11 carat rock to honor their love and marriage, and give her the proposal he failed to do the first time.

In front of thousands, Taylor walked on stage in a white tuxedo and pants suit with dozens of roses as Fantasia tried to make sense of what was going on. He then professed his love and appreciation of the wife and mother of their blended family.

“Hey pretty girl,” he told her as he walked on stage as she gushed in surprise. “I gotta make something right,” he says as he stares in her eyes and she whispers, “Don’t make me cry.” 

“Hey Houston. Can you just give me a moment? For 11 years, for many anniversaries, for many birthdays, don’t make me cry, I gotta be quick. Valentine’s, I shared my angel with you,” Taylor told the crowd. “So give me some grace and share my wife back with me, just for a moment, just for a moment.”

“I adore you, and God has been so good in our lives. We fought through so much. We prayed through so much. We fasted through so much. We’re getting ready to walk into a brand new home. But I can’t walk into that home with you. I gotta make something right. In order to be with you for so many years, we got a blind spot. You know in 2014, we sat, we had a conversation after three weeks and we said, ‘What if we get married?’ And we did it,” he continued through tears. “But the one thing that’s missing in our life is we talked about it, we did it, but I didn’t properly propose. One thing that I’ve learned is that a good woman is hardly somebody to propose to. But a godly woman, she deserves one.”

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Taylor summons someone on stage to bring the ring as Fantasia can barely keep it together. Taylor wipes tears from his eyes as he prepares to get down on one knee for the highly anticipated moment. “For 11 years, you woke up every morning and you chose me. For 11 years, you’ve been an incredible mother to our children. For 11 years, we’ve fasted and prayed, and I’m giving you a carat for every year with you still by my side.” When he presents her with the ring, Fantasia loses it. 

The couple met in 2015 and married just three weeks later at a courthouse. Both North Carolina natives, they later celebrated with a formal wedding ceremony on their anniversary. They have three children together as a blended family from previous relationships, and in 2021 they welcomed a daughter together after Fantasia openly shared her three-year fertility journey.