Carnie Wilson’s daughter Lola Bonfiglio was eliminated from American Idol on Monday night, following her performance in the first round of Hollywood Week. Lola, who went by only her first name on the show, had received negative comments online from fans claiming she benefited from nepotism.
Carnie Wilson’s Daughter Lola Cut from American Idol
Lola auditioned for American Idol Season 23 with a performance of “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves, after joining her mom Carnie Wilson and her aunt Wendy Wilson on a rendition of the Wilson Phillips hit “Hold On.”
The judges weren’t 100 percent sold on Lola’s vocal ability, but they liked her enough to give her a Golden Ticket to Hollywood. For the “Idol Arena” round, the 19-year-old performed “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish, prompting judge Luke Bryan to comment on her “pitchiness.”
Ultimately, Lola was eliminated from the competition after her first Hollywood Week performance. She posted about it on Instagram, teasing that this is “the start of a new chapter” for her. Lola called her time on the show “a roller coaster ride like no other,” adding that she has “never experienced pressure like that in my life.”
Lola vowed to work on her confidence and songwriting, and to “not let a little heat stop me.” She thanked the show’s three judges “for granting me this opportunity” and said she was proud of her fellow contestants who made it through.
Lola’s appearance on the show wasn’t a hit with everyone. Some accused her of being a “nepo baby” who only got the opportunity to appear on the show because of her famous relatives — including grandfather Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
According to People, Carnie Wilson defended her daughter against online negativity during a recent appearance with her Wilson Phillips bandmates. She said Lola was “trembling with nerves before her audition.” Wilson also addressed the online negativity.
“We’re human, and the Internet is so cruel, and the comments are really pissing me off, and I can’t respond,” Wilson said. “Would you encourage a doctor’s son not to be a doctor? Lola wants to be a singer, and they say these terrible things. And she was so hurt.”
Lola wasn’t the only child of a famous musician to perform during Hollywood Week. Baylee Littrell, son of Backstreet Boys star Brian Littrell, impressed the judges with an original song and moved on to the next round.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
