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Triston Harper shocked American Idol judges with his beautiful voice and tragic backstory on season 22 of the competition series.

Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie
Judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie pose for a photo after ABC’s live show “American Idol” on May 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Triston Harper, a 16-year-old contestant on “Idol,” recently announced that…


Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

This week, the 16-year-old singer, who was briefly homeless at age 12, debuted even more surprising news. Not only is he married, but he and his wife, Paris Reed, are expecting a baby.

Triston Harper and Paris Reed
A screenshot from Triston Harper’s Facebook page on November 6, 2024, announcing his marriage to Paris Reed. Harper was a contestant on ‘American Idol.’

Via Facebook/Triston Harper

On November 6, the singer shared further Facebook that he had married Paris Reed. On November 8, his mother, Hattie Sullivan, said the marriage was “old news.”

Hattie M. Sullivan
Triston Harper’s mother announces on Facebook that she is becoming a grandmother. Posted on November 8, 2024.

Via Facebook/Hattie M Sullivan

“Now everyone has congratulated me on getting Triston and Paris married, but to me that’s old news, but now I’m about to become a ‘G Ma,'” she wrote on Facebook.

Triston Harper and Paris Reed
Triston Harper and Paris Reed announce they are expecting a baby, posted on Facebook on November 8. Harper, a former contestant on “American Idol,” is 16 years old.

Via Facebook/Triston Harper

She also shared a photo of the young couple with a positive pregnancy test.

The native of Macintosh, Alabama, moved judges Katya Perry, Luke BryanAnd Lionel Richie with stories of his “very abusive” stepfather and his childhood living on the streets. “I never thought I would be able to tell my story on American Idol,” he said during the video package that aired during the show. When he sang Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up” during his audition, Perry and Richie both gave him a standing ovation. “Your voice is a voice that tells stories,” Richie said. Even though I didn’t win Idolthe country wunderkind has released his own songs since the end of his season.