American Idol Star Triston Harper, 17, Welcomes Baby with His Wife
Disney/Eric McCandless
American Idol alum Triston Harper and his spouse, Paris Reed, have celebrated the arrival of their first child.
“Everyone, my Grand Baby has made her grand entrance, weighing a robust 6lbs and 6 ounces,” Harper’s mother, Hattie Mae Sullivan, shared in a Facebook post on June 23. “Brenley Lichelle Harper has arrived, and she’s not here to mess around. She’s already in boss mode! Feed me, Change me, and cut that bright light out. Yes ma’am, whatever you want, G MA will make it happen!”
At 17, Harper disclosed his marriage to Reed with a Facebook relationship update in November 2024, stating, “Iv [sic] got big news harpies ❤️❤️😘.”
Just two days later, Sullivan revealed that the newlyweds were expecting when she posted a selfie with a positive pregnancy test.
“Now everyone has congratulated me on Triston and Paris’s marriage, but to me, that is old news. Now I’m about to be a ‘G Ma,’” Sullivan wrote in a post that Harper also shared on his Facebook.
American Idol viewers got to know Harper during the 22nd season of the ABC competition series, which aired from February to May 2024. The Alabama native opened up about his challenging upbringing on the show.
Courtesy of Triston Harper/Instagram
“By the age of 11, my mom was with my stepdad, who became abusive. We had to leave McIntosh, [Alabama], and then everything spiraled out of control,” he recounted in a video package at the time. “The lowest point in my life was when my mom and I were homeless and sleeping on the sidewalk. I was just 12.”
Harper expressed gratitude for the chance to compete on the show, stating, “I never imagined I would have the opportunity to share my story on American Idol. Just thinking about it brings me joy.”
Judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie were impressed by Harper’s audition while offering constructive feedback due to his youth.
“Anything you’re doing technically while singing is ‘cause you’re 15,” Bryan remarked. “If I could spend an afternoon with you and just say, ‘Don’t do that anymore,’ I really think you’d improve a lot.”
Perry then added, finishing Bryan’s thought, “You’re like a shotgun. Just be mindful of where you’re aiming it.”
Harper made it to the top five before being eliminated with Emmy Russell during a May 2024 episode. Following his Idol exit, he released his debut single, “H.O.P.E.,” that same month. (Abi Carter ultimately won season 22.)
In the months before their big announcement, Harper posted an Instagram tribute to Reed for National Girlfriends Day. “I love you so much @reedgirl.101❤️❤️❤️❤️,” he wrote in August 2024. “There may be a one-in-a-million kind of girl, but you’re my one-in-a-lifetime woman. I love you 25❤️😘.”
