Keyla Richardson's Mother Says Season 24 Finalist Was Robbed After 3rd-Place American Idol Finish
Updated
Updated · E! NEWS · May 12
Keyla Richardson's Mother Says Season 24 Finalist Was Robbed After 3rd-Place American Idol Finish
4 articles · Updated · E! NEWS · May 12
Third-place finisher Keyla Richardson drew a public defense from her mother Katja, who wrote on Facebook after the May 11 finale that her daughter "was robbed" rather than defeated.
Season 24 ended with Hannah Harper winning and Jordan McCullough finishing runner-up, despite judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood praising Keyla's drive and performances throughout the ABC competition.
29-year-old Keyla did not address her mother's complaint directly, instead posting that "the journey has been amazing" and saying "we are just getting started."
A day later, Keyla leaned into the result by celebrating with season 23 third-place alum Breanna Nix, calling a top-3 finish "actually GREAT" and framing it as a launch point for what comes next.
Her mother cried 'robbed,' but is Keyla Richardson's third-place finish actually a strategic career victory?
After a voting crash and Nashville takeover, what was the real secret to American Idol's ratings revival?