American Idol: Katy Perry fights back tears as teenager DJ Johnson sings about mother’s abandonment

Katy Perry choked back tears as a young woman sang about her mother’s abandonment on Sunday’s season 19 premiere of American Idol.

The 36-year-old judge and new mom to five-month-old Daisy Dove appeared undone by the emotion in DJ Johnson’s original song Scars.

Halfway through the performance, DJ, 18, broke down weeping as the words she had written about a mother leaving her children got to her.

Judge Lionel Richie, 71, gave DJ his handkerchief as Katy urged her to continue.

‘Some of the greatest artists become artists because they have had the most pain in their life,’ Katy told DJ, a Longview, Texas, native.

Katy swallowed her tears, then collected herself and added, ‘It’s about if you can take that pain and turn it into a purpose,’ telling DJ, ‘Keep being brave.’

Everyone wanted to hug DJ but they couldn’t due to coronavirus restrictions, so the teen’s father Don held her as she got her golden ticket.

After the pair departed, Katy sighed, ‘Dad,’ and pulled out a compact to reapply her makeup.

Earlier in the show, she honored her own dad by spending $400 on a flashy jacket worn by contestant Ryan Romano, 16, from Romeo, Michigan.

Ryan failed to make it through for his cover of Elton John’s Rocket Man, but hit paydirt when Katy sent him the funds via Venmo under her birth name Katheryn Hudson.

‘It’s a no for American Idol, but it’s a yes for that jacket,’ she affirmed, realizing it was just her dad’s style.

The contestants’ relationships with their parents played a central role in the season 19 premiere, which saw singers talking to their families via a wall-sized screen.

In her much-anticipated debut, social media star Claudia Conway, 16, spoke with her mother Kellyanne Conway, 54, the former senior advisor to former President Donald Trump.

Claudia has long disapproved of her mother’s work for Trump, and the family’s battles have repeatedly aired on social media.

On American Idol, their relationship seemed cordial but slightly strained.

‘Claudiaaaa!’ Kellyanne shouted from the giant screen. ‘You ready to go baby? You excited?’

‘Yeah,’ Claudia admitted. ‘But I’m really, really nervous.’

Kellyanne told her she should be nervous, pointing out that just auditioning for AI was a ‘humbling experience’ that little girls had dreamt of all their lives.

‘This is your time to shine,’ Kellyanne emphasized. ‘But remember honey: Winners are people that are willing to lose.’

When Claudia walked onstage before the judges, Katy immediately asked, ‘Are you okay?’

‘No,’ Claudia replied. ‘But yes, I’m so good.’

The Alpine, New Jersey, high school student was joined by her father George Conway, 57, a lawyer and founding member of the conservative political action committee The Lincoln Project.

He listened outside the door as Claudia told judge Luke Bryan, 44, of her chaotic life.

‘It’s a lot, but I only want to spread love,’ Claudia said. ‘I love a compromise, and I do agree to disagree with my mom and my dad.’

In a pre-taped video, Claudia recalled her challenging childhood, saying, ‘I had to move to Washington, DC, when I was 12, and I hated it. When your mom’s working for the President of the United States, who you very much disagree with, it’s really hard.’

Katy asked Claudia if her mother still hugged her, and Claudia affirmed that she did, adding, ‘She loves me, I love her. Our relationship is just–it’s a little iffy… Most of my life my feelings had been suppressed, so then I got social media and I was like, ”Now my voice is being heard”.’

Claudia felt the Internet could be ‘a very, very dark place,’ but emphasized that her music saved her when life was ‘going downhill.’

‘Now I kind of want to get out of the controversy, get out of the drama, get out of the political whatever and let people know I am a singer and that this is what I want to do,’ she said.

George wiped away tears and said he was ‘thrilled’ his daughter was following her dreams.

But when Claudia sang Rihanna’s Love on the Brain, Katy stopped her midway to tell her she’d ‘lost it.’

‘I did,’ Claudia confessed. ‘I was a little nervous, and my shoes are..’

‘Take your shoes off,’ Katy ordered, and Claudia complied.

Asked to sing her next song, Adele’s When We Were Young, Claudia was urged by Katy to think back to her childhood and the sadness she felt amid all the ‘noise’ around her.

Video of Claudia singing Adele’s Remedy at age 12 was shown, as Katy asked the teen, ‘Your dad’s your dad, your mom’s your mom. Who is Claudia?’

The Grammy winner advised Claudia to ‘calm the storm’ around her, put her phone down and stop reading Internet comments if she wanted to succeed on American Idol.

Luke felt that Claudia had a limited range, but Katy and Lionel decided to give her a shot.

‘Claudia, not going to DC, honey,’ Katy said. ‘You’re going straight to Hollywood.’

When Claudia told her mom the news, Kellyanne danced and sang ‘We’re going to Hollywood!’

‘She’s definitely a scrapper,’ Katy mused, as Lionel agreed, ‘I want to see her scrap.’

Contestant Danica Steakley, 17, from Gulfport, Mississippi, had her own difficulties dealing with her father’s Dan’s expectations around her burgeoning career.

In interviews, the former Naval lieutenant, 73, barely let his daughter speak, and called ‘Sing it baby!’ as he accompanied her on Hank Williams’ I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You).

When Danica failed to get a golden ticket, Dan walked out without looking back, telling the judges, ‘You got your thing to do, and I got mine.’

Danica walked downtrodden behind Dan as show host Ryan Seacrest, 46, asked if she was okay.

‘We need some more time,’ Dan said, mocking the judges. ‘Da-da da-da da-da da-da da… Next time I’ll have her go audition for The Voice.’

The show opened on a higher note with a song from Benson Boone, an 18-year-old college student from Monroe, Washington who’d started performing the year before.

The affable teen played piano as he crooned Aidan Martin’s Punchline, and his gifts were so obvious that the judges cheered for him while he sang.

‘I see American Idol and I see you,’ Katy said, giving Benson a golden ticket. ‘And I see you winning American Idol, if you want to.’

Grace Kinstler, a 20-year-college student from Boston, sang Gladys Knight & The Pips’ Midnight Train To Georgia, followed by Carole King’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.

‘I think my milk came in,’ Katy said of Grace’s raw cover. ‘That’s music. That’s true magic.’

Luke compared Grace’s pipes to those of American Idol stars Kelly Clarkson, 38, and Jennifer Hudson, 39, and said it was ‘the first time in four years that just someone singing made me cry.’

Twangy-voiced country singer Alex Miller, 17, of Lancaster, Kentucky, charmed the judges with a song he’d written for an ex, called ‘I’m Over You, So Get Over Me.’

Luke was so wowed by Alex he volunteered to call the Grand Ole Opry for him and then performed a duet with the teen on a rousing cover of Merle Haggard’s Big City.

‘I’m taking this boy home with me!’ Luke crowed, before telling Alex’s parents he’d made it.

Jason Warrior, 25, from Chicago, had previously been on singing competition shows The Voice and The Four, where a critique from judge Meghan Trainor, 27, led him to react nastily.

‘That moment of immaturity almost completely destroyed my career,’ Jason admitted, but he still got a golden ticket after the Idol judges heard him sing Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.

Anilee List, 20, Los Angeles, turned out a stunning version of Aaron Taylor’s Blue that garnered her a standing ovation from all three judges.

She’d been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age 10 and watching former Idol finalist James Durbin, 32, who also had Tourette’s, inspired her to sing.

Anilee’s physical tics evaporated as she performed, and she won a ticket.

‘That was one of the most technically perfect vocals I think we’ve ever gotten here on American Idol,’ Katy told Anilee, as James showed up onscreen to congratulate her.

Nia Renée, 17, a high school student from Little Rock, Arkansas, also belted a soulful rendition of Aretha Franklin’s Chain Of Fools and went through.

At one point in the show, Katy grew so tired she got on the floor and pretended to be a cow Luke could tip over.

She was energized by Mario Adrion, a 26-year-old German model who sang in his Speedo about being a model singing in a Speedo.

The judges had a ‘walk-off’ with Mario to Right Said Fred’s I’m Too Sexy then sent him home.

American Idol will return next week on ABC.