Sara Beth Liebe’s shocking American Idol exit has caught the attention of The View. After the young mother voluntarily left the show on Sunday’s (April 2) episode, Whoopi Goldberg and her View co-hosts weighed in on the difficult decision, ultimately supporting Liebe in her self-elimination.
Goldberg commended the singer for putting herself first in making the challenging choice to drop out of Idol. Looking directly at the camera, she offered some encouraging words to Liebe.
“You know what, Sara? People have to make decisions, and you made the decision that was right for you,” she said, before complimenting her singing chops.
“With that voice, that will not be your only time, and you’re young enough to come back and do it again. A lot of people make the same decision that you did. A lot of people do not. And so, you had to go with your heart, and I respect you for it,” Goldberg added, noting that Liebe “will have other opportunities.”
Liebe surprised both Idol viewers and judges this weekend when she revealed she was going back home to be with her family after performing an impressive rendition of The Police’s “Roxanne.”
“This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually going to be my last performance, because my heart’s at home. I’m gonna get home to my babies. They kind of need me,” she said at the time.
Katy Perry left her with encouraging words, telling her, “You’ve opened a door you thought you’d never open, and you got a yes. You may get another yes in the future. Don’t give up.”
In a backstage interview, Liebe said she was “humbled and grateful” for the experience, adding, “Katy had some really nice things to say. It would be nice if my kids were a little older. I understand how big of an opportunity this is.”
Her exit from Idol came after a shocking audition in which Perry made an off-color remark about Liebe’s children. After learning that Liebe was a 25-year-old mother-of-three, Perry said she’d been “laying on the table too much.”
Liebe later addressed the comments on TikTok, admitting in a video last month that she found Perry’s words “hurtful” and “embarrassing.”
The View airs weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.