McKenna Breinholt, the open Christain who has managed to make it through round after round of season 22 of American Idol, took to Facebook to announce that she had managed to make it past the episode that aired the previous night only because Katy Perry, a judge on the show, saved her. Breinholt made her faith a central part of her audition, endearing many to her.
In fact, when auditioning, in an episode that aired on February 18, 2024, Breinholt sang the hit faith-based song “There Was Jesus,” which was originally recorded by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton. The judges were blown away by her performance and unanimously voted to give her a Golden Ticket, meaning she advanced to the next round of the televised competition. She’s now in the top 7 contestants.
Announcing that she had managed to make it through the round thanks to judge Katy Perry saving her, she said, “It’s gonna take me a second to recover from last night’s events 🥹😪 I’m so beyond grateful. Everybody did so amazing last night so it is an honor to still be here. Thank you for the save @katyperry. Katy really opened a new world of music for me and continuously pushes me to sing my entire heart out.”
She added, concluding the heartfelt post, “Thank you @lissiemusic for creating such a beautiful song. I know that Amy was on that stage with me last night. I am forever grateful and will always remember this moment. #idol #katysladies”
Breinholt has made her faith clear both on American Idol and on her social media. For example, writing about her faith around the Christmas 2023 season, she said, in a post on Instagram, “This season has brought me so much closer to Christ. I pray that everybody has felt some peace this holiday season. Especially the families in my home town pushing through these last several agonizing days.”
Continuing, she wrote, “My heart aches for those who are missing their loved ones today. I am beyond grateful to have the faith that I do in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I firmly believe that families are forever and that we WILL see our loved ones again. If we turn to Him, He will carry us. Merry Christmas 🤍”
Watch her “There was Jesus” audition here:
Breinholt’s audition was made all the more special because members of her birth family (she was adopted) were there to see her. Her aunt, describing that powerful aspect of the audition, said, “At her audition, she, Ryan Seacrest and the judges, were in the dark and didn’t know the birth family would be there to meet her after her audition. My sister knew this would be a good surprise for McKenna as her audition and stress would be done and she’d be happy to meet them sooner. The birth family was super sensitive and sweet and not wanting to intrude o. The special occasion, and the adoptive family was the same…both just wanting to be there to support McKenna and neither wanting any limelight. BUT…as it turned out, the judges asking McKenna to invite her “family in”, began the reunion a little earlier! For us family not there I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful we are to be able to not just hear about the emotional reunion and love and support for McKenna that day, but to now get to WATCH it here?! Well…again…”there was Jesus”! There’s no way anyone could convince me otherwise…God has had his hand in all of these orchestrations, from McKenna’s birthmom, Amy knowing and feeling that my sister Lisa and her husband Garin were meant to raise her, and she was meant to get her here, for my sister Lisa and her husband Garin then to raise her. Amy health had declined and she passed away too young 10 years ago, and yet McKenna finds them on her birth grandma’s birthday, to allow them to cry new tears, but of joy now in the gift Amy blessed my sisters family with and now her own family to help heal their broken hearts and see and feel the blessing of McKenna they now have in their lives. With Amy and her family all being so musically talented, it really was so perfectly fitting to have them there to hear her sing without her even knowing they were there to hear her and support her (regardless of her moving to the next round or not, McKenna would now have love and support from even more family). And her song choice just happened to be “There was Jesus” for them to overhear her song?! Nope…too many well timed miracles to call any of it coincidence! The miracle was there for them all to have their heart filled up and it had no bearing on the American Idol outcome, but the fact that it happened there and could be professionally documented for the rest of us family to witness too…another BIG miracle for the rest of us to see and feel too! Those are just a few of these miracles we’ve come to expect and know are happening. And we are so grateful! So, now that you know a little more, you can better enjoy witnessing this documented miracle as it truly and genuinely unfolded! ❤️🥰 We love you Mckenna Breinholt, the whole Amy Ross Lopez family, the Breinholt family and now all of you along to see what other miracles might be coming up. ❤️🥰🙏😇”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video