American Idol hopeful Kennedy Reid defies the internet trolls with a standout all-natural performance.
The Big Picture
- Kennedy Reid embraced her natural appearance to showcase her talent on American Idol.
- Kennedy’s powerful performance silenced critics and received support from judges.
- Despite facing online hate and rumors, Kennedy’s journey empowers viewers to overcome toxic fandom.
After it was announced she was moving into the Top 20, American Idol hopeful Kenndy Reid shared in her video package that, following her audition, the internet trolls and haters took to social media to attack her appearance. From her wig-wearing to over-the-top makeup, Kennedy’s mom came to her defense. In her Top 20 performance, Kennedy decided to perform with her natural hair, minimal makeup, and no lashes to prove that she is a vocalist first and foremost, and no matter what she looks like, this is her. It’s time to prove the naysayers wrong!
Deemed as one of the most talented crop of hopefuls in American Idol history, the 22nd season has brought their 24 hopefuls to the American Idol studio to discover which 20 artists will be moving on to sing again. The Aulani Round proved that America had a tough decision in their hands, but with the guidance from judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, whoever they picked as their favorites would be in good hands. Broken up into their original Aulani groups, 10 singers from Jelly Roll‘s night and 10 singers from Tori Kelly‘s night would move into the Top 20. One of whom was Indiana native Kennedy Reid. Now, if you looked at the artist box in the audience and saw an unrecognizable young woman sitting there in pink, viewers might have been able to pick up that it was this season’s mortician, Kennedy Reid. With her sitting right in the center of the front row, viewers would soon learn as to just why the country singer changed up her appearance.
American Idol
Twelve American finalists (six men and six women) compete in a singing contest.
- Release Date
- June 11, 2002
- Creator
- Simon Fuller
- Cast
- Carrie Underwood , Fantasia , Jennifer Hudson , Clay Aiken , Chris Daughtry
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Seasons
- 22
- Studio
- Fox
Kennedy Reid Won Over the Fans in Hawaii
Hailing from New Albany, Indiana, Kennedy Reid was first introduced to the judges at the Los Angeles auditions. Joined by her close friend Jean Ann on the piano, Kennedy made an impact on the judges and fans alike with her appearance. As many people likened her appearance to the legendary Tammy Faye Messner, Kennedy arrived with big hair and big lashes, and a voice that moved her into the Hollywood Round. After a successful run in Hollywood, Kennedy was invited to Hawaii to partake in the Aulani Round where she was mentored by Jelly Roll. Dawning a cute little dress and a cowboy hat, Kennedy took on the iconic Reba McEntire smash “Fancy.” The judges were impressed that Kennedy didn’t let them down, and for the voting public, Kennedy connected with them as well.
Katy Perry Opens Up About Leaving American Idol
She’s excited to get back to touring.
Following the first round of public voting, Kennedy learned that she was one of the lucky twenty hopefuls that were given a chance to sing again. But what viewers saw when host Ryan Seacrest said her name, they were introduced to a new side of Kennedy Reid. The visual was not the Kennedy the audience had already become familiar with. And there was a reason for that. In her video package, Kennedy revealed the trials and tribulations of becoming a reality star and how toxic comments affected her. She revealed that the negative comments questioned her appearance and age. Sharing that her love for wearing wigs came following a bleach failure, the comments became so nasty that her mother had to jump in and stick up for her 23-year-old daughter. Taking on a less put-on physical persona, Kennedy shared that she wanted to take her power back with her performance.
Kennedy Reid’s Memorable Performance
Taking on The Judd classic “Love Can Build a Bridge,” Kennedy brought a soulful rendition of the track, allowing her voice to become the focal point of her performance. A new iteration of Kennedy was born and no matter what would happen in the next round of voting, Kennedy was able to take the moment for herself and remind the haters who she was. Thankfully, the judging panel was very much on Kennedy’s side. While they didn’t focus too much on the actual mechanics of her performance, they were there to boost Kennedy and remind her of the beautiful woman that she is. Katy noted that she was proud of her metamorphosis moment. Luke called out her bullies and told her she would continue to prove them wrong for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, Lionel tells her to not listen to those idiots and to believe in herself. After Ryan Seacrest asked what she learned, Kennedy shared, following her performance, that it allowed her to love herself. Kennedy’s brave moment proves that no matter the medium, the people behind the screens can be cruel, and it’s up to the reality star to shut up the doubters and critics. With her performance, she did! But sadly, Kennedy’s relationship with the toxic fandom and social media trolls is far from over.
Kennedy Reid is No Stranger to Gossip and Rumors
The Top 20 round of American Idol was not filmed live, though it is the last of the pre-taped episodes of the season. Following the filming of this episode, Kennedy found herself in hot water as she became the center of some gossip and scandal.According to Reddit, in a now removed Facebook rant, Kennedy’s boss at the funeral home she works at accused the singer and the boss’s husband of having an affair. Darlene Booth Oxendine accused Kennedy and her husband, Anthony Oxendine, of a four-year relationship that had thus caused her to get a divorce. The unhinged rant then alleges that Kennedy was pregnant with her husband’s child. Through the use of screenshots, Anthony was seen accompanying Kennedy to her American Idol auditions as well as in the audience of her Aulani performance. Kennedy has come out and refuted the claims, but following her Top 20 performance, it’s clear that people on the internet are none too kind to the 23-year-old.
American Idol has been ripe for scandal and controversy throughout the two decades the program has been on the airwaves. While social media were not as prevalent in the Fox era of the show, once American Idol moved to ABC, more scandals came to light through rumors on various social media apps. In season 19. Caleb Kennedy was forced to leave the competition following a racially charged video resurfacing. Benson Boone of Season 19 and Kenedi Anderson of Season 20 both disappeared from the show as it was rumored they scored record deals, something that was not allowed for potential American Idol hopefuls. Wyatt Pike left Season 19 in confusing fashion as it was alleged that he was either involved in a fight with Luke Bryan or had COVID. Either way, drama on the internet ensued due to the speculation. No matter what, American Idol in the age of social media has tested the artists, forcing them to tackle what their life will be as a reality celebrity.
Kennedy Reid took the best path for herself on American Idol by using her platform and allowing her to spin the negative into a positive. With six contestants set to depart next, regardless if Kennedy’s journey comes to an end, she empowered many viewers by showing the haters that she is bigger than their comments. Toxic fandom is nothing new to reality television. Sadly, it’s part of the industry now. As many reality stars, hosts, and judges have said over the years, pay the trolls no mind. Hopefully, Kennedy will continue to use this newfound power to her advantage and shine in the country music world.
American Idol airs Sundays at 8:00pm. All episodes are available to stream the next day on Hulu.
This article was originally published on collider.com