American Idol contestant Sara Beth Liebe quit the competition during Sunday night’s pre-taped episode that aired weeks after she called out judge Katy Perry for a “mom-shaming” joke during her audition. Liebe, 25, decided leaving the series was the best thing for her children. Perry tried to convince her to stay, but Leibe said she wanted to go home to be with her family.
Audiences saw guest coach Clay Aiken help Leibe rehearse to perform The Police’s “Roxanne,” when she began having second thoughts about performing on the show. “I’ve been a mom since I was 18. I’ve been married since I was 18 and I don’t feel like I fit the mold,” Leibe told Aiken, via PEOPLE. “So I’m trying to figure this all out, I don’t know.”
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Liebe also told the cameras that she underestimated “how hard” it would be to be away from her children. She felt guilty and thought being on Idol was doing “something completely selfish.” After performing “Roxanne,” Liebe told Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan she was leaving the series.
“This opportunity is really rad but this is actually gonna be my last performance because my heart’s at home,” she told the shocked trio. “So I’m gonna get home to my babies, they kind of need me. So thank you, thanks.” Later, Liebe told a producer she felt this was the right thing to do and wasn’t confident that she could win. “Seeing all the talent, a big part of me feels like I’m not cut out for show business. I feel like, yeah, I don’t know,” Liebe said.
Perry made it clear she didn’t want Liebe to leave. “Sara Beth, I know life is scary,” Perry pleaded. “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. But remember, self-love is just as big as motherly love. Don’t leave the competition.”
Later, the judges told Liebe she would have continued on to the next round if she stayed. Liebe once again declined the chance and Perry told her not to give up on her dreams. The singer later told producers that she might have stayed if her children were older. “I understand how big of an opportunity this is, I still kind of want to go home. I’m sure that when I get home I’ll regret it,” Liebe said. “I’ll probably go damn Sara you should’ve stayed and you should’ve done it.”
After the episode aired, Liebe took to TikTok, where she posted a video of herself having a panic attack right after heraudition. Although she left Idol, Liebe said the experience helped her fall in love with music again. “I’m so GRATEFUL. I’ve never had this much support with singing,” Liebe wrote. “And it’s mindblowing and so humbling and has made me realize how badly I wanted to do music. 6 months ago, I didn’t know that yet. But I’m also allowed to make hard choices that are best for me.”
Liebe made her Idol debut in an episode early last month. After she told the judges she had three children, they were shocked. Perry stood up and pretended to fan herself. “If Katy lays on the table, I think I’m going to pass out,” Liebe said. “Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much,” Perry replied. A few days after the episode aired, Liebe said Perry’s joke “wasn’t super kind” and it was embarrassing. “I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool and I think that mom-shaming is super lame and I think that it’s hard enough to be a mom and it’s hard enough to be a woman,” Liebe said in a viral TikTok.
