American Idol: Katy Perry break down in tears as contestant DJ Johnson sings about mother abandoning her

Katy Perry couldn’t hold back the tears during an emotional performance by a young singer on the season 19 premiere last night.

The then-pregnant singer was overcome with emotion as DJ Johnson, 18, performed an original song, Scars, during her audition.

The American Idol hopeful had been forced to pause her audition when she broke down in tears over the lyrics of her song, which was inspired by the trauma of her mother abandoning their family.

Before singing the powerful track, she shared the backstory of her troubled relationship with her mother, who left when DJ was a child.

The singer revealed that her mom would tell her that she ‘wasn’t good enough to go anywhere’ and was ‘worthless.’

However, when DJ started singing her emotions got the better of her and she had to stop as the tears flowed.

Lionel Richie got up to give her his handkerchief, while DJ’s dad was brought into the room to comfort her.

She went on to complete the song, leaving the entire room was in tears.

The judges sent her through to the next round in Hollywood as teary-eyed Katy stated: ‘Some of the greatest artists have become artists because they’ve had the most pain in their life.

It’s about if you can take that pain and turn it into a purpose. You give hope to so many people.’

The episode also saw Kellyanne Conway’s daughter Claudia wow the judges with her rendition of an Adele track.

The 16-year-old has been making a name for herself on TikTok for her home spats with her Republican mother, who was a political consultant for Donald Trump during his presidency. 

American Idol airs on Fox in the US, while old episodes are available to stream on Netflix in the UK.

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