Teen Country Music artist and American Idol alum Triston Harper delivered a double-whammy to fans: he has a wife… with a baby on the way.
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On November 6, the 16-year-old announced on Facebook, “I’ve got big news, harpies,” while updating his relationship status to “married” and “with Paris Reed.”
However, the hits didn’t stop there with the teen husband and wife.
Just two days later, there was another unexpected update. Harper’s mom, Hattie Mae Sullivan, shared a Facebook post, which the singer also reposted. The post included a photo of Harper holding a positive pregnancy test while posing with 17-year-old Reed.
“Now Everybody has congratulated me on Triston and Paris getting married but to me that is old news but now I’m bout to be a ‘G Ma.’ ” Sullivan wrote. She also tacked on the hashtags #TeamPink, #TeamBlue and #BlessingsonBlessings.
Triston Harper’s fans flooded the pregnancy announcement post with words of encouragement, despite the couple’s young age.
“This is not a roadblock, it’s a building block.Just another part of Triston Harper’s story that he’ll be proud of,” one fan insisted.
“Triston is very talented…he will make everything work with God’s help for him and Paris and his family. At least they was married before they became pregnant,” another fan added.
“Congratulations and it is commendable that Triston Harper didn’t run like many would’ve done,” a third fan chimed in.
Newlywed and Expecting Father Triston Harper Auditioned for ‘American Idol’ at Age 15, Just a Few Months Ago
Harper, hailing from McIntosh, Alabama, competed on season 22 of American Idol, which aired from February 18 to May 19. He reached the top five before being eliminated in the May 12 episode. Ultimately, Abi Carter was crowned the season’s winner.
When then-15-year-old Harper auditioned for the show before judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, he performed Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up.” He also shared insights about his challenging ongoing childhood.
“I grew up in a small town. I’ve been through a lot in my life,” he explained in a video segment while sitting outside his home in McIntosh. “I grew up right here since I was born basically,” he added.
“My mama wanted us to be something — that’s why I got into music,” he declared. “By the age of 11, my mom was with my stepdad. He was getting very abusive. We had to leave McIntosh and then everything went sideways.”
“The lowest part of my life is when me and my mom had got homeless and were sleeping on the sidewalk,” Harper recalled. “I had just turned 12.”
After completing his audition, Harper was met with a wave of applause, including a standing ovation from both Perry and Richie.
Since his American Idol stint, Harper has continued touring. This past June, he even played at CMAFest on the 19 TAKEOVER stage.