Haley is miffed with 'Idol' judge Randy
Haley Reinhart got a standing ovation from the judges after performing "I (Who Have Nothing)" on "American Idol." (May 11, 2011) Credit: Fox
Among the complaints about this year's "Idol" judges are their noncommittal, benign, "we love everyone" critiques . . . well, except perhaps for Haley Reinhart. Randy Jackson, in particular, blasted the 20-year-old on her first song in the Top 4 round last week, while giving her, along with Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, a standing ovation for her second song.
But that wasn't enough to placate Reinhart, who not only rolled her eyes and answered Jackson back during the show, but also spoke with EW.com after it. Described as "still fuming," Reinhart said, "Yeah I'm mad. Everybody else gets good feedback and they really let me have it. They don't feel bad for me. Never have, never will. I got a little upset because that song [Michael Jackson's 'Earth Song'] is downright inspiring and emotional. No matter what, that hit me to the heart," adding, "I'm not gonna crack. As much as they might want me to or try to, I'm not going to."
When asked about the judges' remarks to Reinhart, co-contestant Lauren Alaina came to her defense, saying, "I wasn't a happy camper about that. That made me a little ill. I'm sorry, but Haley has the best voice on this show and she gets the most criticism. I deserve a lot more criticism than she does. I'm Haley's No. 1 fan."
