Katy Perry pleaded with the talented mother of three to stay, but to no avail.
Sunday’s episode ofAmerican Idolwas the last one for contestant Sara Beth Liebe though not because she was eliminated.
“My heart’s at home, so I’m gonna get home to my babies.
Sara Beth Liebe on ‘American Idol’.ABC/Eric McCandless
They kinda need me.”
As Liebe left stage, judgesKaty Perry,Lionel Richie, andLuke Bryansat in confusion.
They asked her to further explain her decision, and Perry tried to change her mind.
The judges even promoted Liebe and the rest of her group to the next round.
“You may get another yes in the future.
Do not give up.”
But these words had no effect on Liebe’s decision.
“If my kids were a little older…
I understand how big of an opportunity this is, but I still kinda wanna go home.”
They’re still really young.
There’s a lot of guilt that comes when you leave your kids to do something completely selfish."
The episode ended with Liebe acknowledging that the decision could very well haunt her.
“I’m sure that when I get home, I’ll regret it,” she said.
After the episode aired, Liebe explained more of her thinking in a TikTok.
Video footage of a panic attack she suffered after her audition was paired with a long block of text.
“A lot of people don’t realize that I was scouted to audition.
They reached out to me,” Liebe wrote.
“And I’m so grateful.
I’ve never had this much support with singing.
And it’s mind-blowing and so humbling and has made me realize how badly I want to do music.
Six months ago, I didn’t know that yet.
But I’m also allowed to make hard choices that are best for me.”
After her exit was confirmed on the show, Perry concluded that “everyone has their own story.”
