‘American Idol’s Keyla Richardson Reacts to 3rd Place Finish After Mom’s Furious Response

Disney/Eric McCandless

‘American Idol’s Keyla Richardson Reacts to 3rd Place Finish After Mom’s Furious Response

Originally posted on TV Insider | Last updated May 13, 2026 12:47 PM ET

Just over an hour into the American Idol finale, the Top 3 finalist with the least amount of viewer votes was eliminated from the competition. Ryan Seacrest announced that Hannah Harper and Jordan McCullough would be moving forward, which meant Keyla Richardson was the person sent home.

Shortly after the announcement was made, Keyla’s mother, Katja, took to Facebook to react to the decision. In a now-deleted post, she wrote, “My baby was robbed. She did not fail. She was robbed i’m sorry I’m gonna say it!”

The following day, Keyla reacted to the news herself and was in great spirits. She posted a video with Season 23’s second runner-up, Breanna Nix, and wrote, “Season 23 & Season 24 3rd place finalist! It’s NOT BAD AT ALL, it’s actually GREAT. I’m excited about what’s coming, It’s only up from here! Love you.”

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A post shared by Keyla Richardson (@iamkeylarichardson)

During the finale, the Top 3 each performed a song by Alicia Keys, as well as another song dedicated to their hometowns. Keyla’s song choices were Keys’ “Unthinkable (I’m Ready),” followed by “I Love the Lord.” She also teamed up with Jason Mraz for a duet on his song “I Won’t Give Up” towards the end of the show.

After Keyla’s eliminations, viewers were able to continue voting for Hannah and Jordan. At the end of the night, Hannah was named the winner. Keyla is already back in her hometown of Pensacola, Florida, and gearing up for the next phase of her music career.

Just as important as that, though, is her role as a single mother to son Drew. The 9-year-old has been supporting Keyla throughout her entire journey, from her audition to the live finale. He even filmed a special segment for the May 11 episode where he competed against Carrie Underwood in a karaoke competition (and, yes, he won)!

What did you think of the American Idol finale? Were you surprised that Keyla finished in third place? Let us know in the comments below.

This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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