There were a few tense moments last night, April 15, on American Idol involving Quentin Alexander. The contestant was unhappy to see Joey Cook and Rayvon Owen have to go up against one another in the final minutes of the show, so he shared his thoughts. Judge Harry Connick Jr. did not take kindly to the remarks, which were later clarified by Alexander during the show. Billboard caught up with a few of the contestants afterward to get their take on what happened.
"This sucks. We have two of the best vocalists [in the bottom two]. My best friend [Joey] is sitting there. This whole thing is wack. But I'm going to shut up right now," Alexander said after being prodded by Ryan Seacrest.
Connick responded, saying Alexander's remarks were disrespectful to the show. The singer came out to clarify that he meant the situation of Owen and Cook being in the bottom two was "wack." Alexander chalked it up to a misunderstanding after the show.
"I want to clarify: I wasn't disrespectful with anyone. It was me being honest with the moment and honest with myself and honest with everyone else. I love Harry Connick Jr.," he told Billboard. "I would never disrespect this man that gave me this opportunity. It was just a conversation that was aired on TV."
Scott Borchetta was all for the perceived altercation. The Season 14 mentor supported Alexander and his decision to vocalize his feelings. The singer's roommate, Nick Fradiani, also stood behind Alexander, explaining that he and Cook had become close friends throughout the whole experience.
"He had a moment and the only difference here is every little thing is nitpicked and voted on. But it definitely made for good TV," Fradiani said.
Fan favorite Tyanna Jones applauded Alexander for apologizing after the outburst and Owen, who beat out Cook, called his actions "huge."
