‘I am not watching anymore’: Outraged ‘American Idol’ fans blame MKY’s elimination on ‘hatred toward the Latino community’

What was meant to be a celebratory night on American Idol Sunday took a shocking turn, as some fans were outraged after MKY — a 25-year-old Mexican-American from Los Angeles — was eliminated during the three-hour telecast and failed to advance to the Top 20. Viewers voiced their frustrations in the comments section of Gold Derby’s live blog, with some calling out racism as the reason for MKY’s dismissal.

“With so much hatred toward the Latino community are we surprised MKY got voted out?” Ray asked. “MKY deserved to move forward.” Another user named Valerie screamed, “MKY to me had it all!!!! I am not watching Idol anymore…some of the singers did not belong there!!!” A third fan (Ginny) added, “MKY should’ve made the the top 10…not watching Idol anymore. He was by far one of the best singers in that competition. The judges’ feedback on several who made it through made it pretty clear they shouldn’t be there. Ask yourself…WHY????”

The Top 20 were selected based on votes from last week’s Top 24 performances at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii. MKY sang “Adorn” and received positive comments from judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. “Every time we hear you sing we hear some new texture. I did not know you could sing that high, boo!” Carrie exclaimed. Meanwhile, Lionel called the hopeful a “seasoned pro” and Luke said MKY “owned that moment.”

Following his performance last week, MKY finished in sixth place out of 12 performers in our poll asking “Who gave the best performance on Sunday, April 13?” For that reason, he was predicted to be safe this week. The other three eliminated contestants this week — Penny Samar, Kyana Fanene, and Grayson Torrence — all finished at the bottom of Gold Derby’s polls from last Sunday and Monday.

MKY discussed his heritage throughout his American Idol journey. “Being a Mexican-America from East L.A., so much talent has been overlooked,” he said before the Showstoppers round during Hollywood week. “I feel like this is my time. My family means everything to me. They’re my backbone. They’ve all sacrificed a lot for me and my dreams. To me, this is an opportunity to give back to them.”

“Music is definitely in my blood. It’s in my DNA,” MKY said at his audition. “My great-uncle was the first Chicano Mexican-American that was singing R&B soul music in the ’60s. My grandfather sang with a soul group called Tierra, and my dad sings R&B soul. It’s in me.” Seen driving through Los Angeles, the singer stated, “Whittier Boulevard represents the Chicano culture to its finest. You come down on a Sunday, definitely expect to see tons of lowriders just cruising down. It’s so beautiful. You got the palm trees, the classic L.A. Just a little taste of Mexican culture. My family has been chasing this dream, and they’ve passed it on to me.”

MKY impressed the judges by singing “Ooh Baby Baby” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles for his audition. Lionel called in his parents and told them, “You do know that from this point on, he not only belongs to you, he belongs to the world.” Carrie added, “I feel like you’ve got all the pieces. I’m excited to see what you do in this competition.” With three yeses, MKY’s American Idol journey began.

American Idol will continue — without MKY — when the Top 14 are revealed and sing live on Monday, April 21 (8 p.m. ET on ABC).