Chris Medina Snubbed from Idol Finale

Anyone who’s been following American Idol knows that the show has a way of capturing viewers’ attention by offering contestants’ back-story. Once in a while though, among these stories there is one that just catches our hearts.

So who can forget Chris Medina? Medina caught viewers’ attention in the audition process in Milwaukee. But more than just a voice, Medina offered arguably the most tragic story in this season of American Idol.

Chris told the judges that he had been taking care of his disabled fiancée, Juliana Ramos who suffers a traumatic brain injury from a 2009 car accident.  Breaking both viewers’ and judges’ hearts, he says they have been together for eight years and engaged for almost three years. After singing “Breakeven” by The Script, he proceeds to bring Ramos into the judging room where Steven Tyler came very close to shedding tears. Later on in the show, it was Jennifer Lopez’s turn to cry when he didn’t make the Top 24.

It seemed that Medina was a shoo-in to at least be part of the audience member at the American Idol finale. However, it seems that Medina has been painfully forgotten by the American Idol execs who refused him tickets.

Medina tweeted, “Just found out I will not be at the finale for #AmericanIdol sad and disappointed.” When asked why, he elaborated on his tweet saying, “not asked. Then I asked for tickets and I [was] told they can’t. No harsh feelings #AmericanIdol.”

Medina has since clarified that he does not harbor any hard feelings towards American Idol, saying, “Just want to let everyone know including #americanidol that I truly do not have bad feelings toward the show. They have helped me more than anyone will ever know! They created the opportunity to do what I love to help the person I love. I was simply disappointed. I never felt nor will I feel cheated. Love everyone.”

Photo by BestWDW via Flickr