Katy Perry held back tears witnessing contestant McKenna Breinholt meeting her birth family for the first time on the season premiere of American Idol.

 The emotional moment unfolded as McKenna, a 25-year-old from Gilbert, Arizona, discovered that her birth family was present at her audition in Nashville for Season 22 after performing a duet of ‘There Was Jesus’ by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton. 

Katy, visibly moved, initially asked to have the ‘Lopezes on the right’ and the ‘Breinholts on the left,’ acknowledging McKenna’s musical inheritance from her late birth mother, Amy Ross Lopez.

 The reunion brought Katy to tears, who jokingly denied it, saying, ‘No, I’m not crying. You’re crying.’ McKenna’s mother, Amy, was part of a duo called ‘Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl.’ 

During the audition, McKenna played the piano and sang ‘Tumbleweed,’ bringing her grandmother Ranelle to tears. 

Katy acknowledged the power of music to connect, evoke emotion, and heal. 

The judges unanimously voted to send McKenna to Hollywood, expressing admiration for her performance and the heartfelt family reunion.

.