Friday, May 09, 2008


Katie: There was quite a backlash from the gay community after your performance of “Shackles” on the American Idol. Could you tell us, what all the controversy was about?

Mandisa: As I was coming out on stage and going down the ramp, I said that this song goes out to everyone who wants to be free. Your addiction, your lifestyle, and your situation may be big, but God is bigger. That song is such a powerful testimony for me because of my struggle with weight. I feel that I sing that song to the top of my lungs because it is me testifying to the world, and proclaiming to the Lord that he is powerful enough to take these shackles off my feet.

I chose to sing that song for that reason because I want to give him the praise. That’s why the words I used were very important to me. By me choosing to use the word lifestyle I was talking about how people often use the phrase “don’t diet: have a lifestyle change”. Unfortunately, the homosexual community thought I was referring to them and their homosexual lifestyle. So it became somewhat of a buzz word within their community, and all across the Internet there was a campaign to kick me off American Idol because I was being cast as homophobic. It was said that I was attempting to shove my religion down the throats of others by singing that song. That certainly wasn’t my intention, and certainly wasn’t where I was coming from in that performance. When I heard about all of this it broke my heart, and I was eliminated the following week. I did several interviews where I had people yelling at me about what they thought I had implied. After that American Idol set up an interview with the Advocate, which is a publication geared to the homosexual community.

They asked me quite a few point blank questions, and my response was that I think the bible is very explicit about the issue, but I also know that God is the judge; I am not the judge of another individual. I can point you in the direction of the one who can tell you how you should live your life, but I’m not the one to tell you how to live your life. Only God can do that. I try to show my love by telling people that I love them, that I do no hate gay people. It was a very difficult time for me and often today I run into to people who ask me that same question and of course my answer is still the same. God loves them and so do I. It was during that people that my faith went through the fire as I began to question God. I began to question why he would put me in that kind of situation. I never would have chosen to go through that, but through it all I have come to really understand that God’s ways are not like my ways. I came out of it stronger in my faith that God knows what he’s doing.


Katie: After experiencing Simon Cowell’s derogatory comments following your initial performance on American Idol, you most graciously opted to forgive him. Would you share with us the motivating factor behind that decision?

Mandisa: When I did my audition I was afraid of what he might say about my weight. That’s the reason I didn’t audition for all those years, because I knew he would go there. However, when I finally did the audition in front of him he never mentioned it. He just said I had a very pretty face and that I was everything that he wanted me to be. I was elated that everyone would hear the wonderful things Simon had to say about me at my debut on American Idol. Much to surprise, when I went backstage to watch along with the rest of America, he did make comments about my weight, but only after I left the room.

Consequently, I found out with about 30,000 of my closest friends and fans exactly what he had to say about me, and I was mortified. It was my worse nightmare come true. I’ve got a great support system, and it’s so important that you surround yourself with the types of people you want to be. They gathered around me and began to pray for me. They prayed first of all that God would have mercy on Simon, and that he would heal my hurting heart. Then they began praying that God would help me to forgive Simon. It was in that moment that I realized that this was so much more than about my hurt feelings. That this was God’s opportunity to display his glory. What inspired me to forgive Simon was God speaking to me through his word and through my friends.

When I read in the word that “all things come together for good of those who love him, and are called according to his purpose”; “that he could make beauty from ashes” I realized that’s just what he was doing in this instance. The producers were edging me on to just let him have it; that they could edit out anything inappropriate for viewing during prime time. I walked in and said “Simon, a lot of people want me to say a lot of things to you. However, I want you to know that I forgive you, and the reason I can forgive is because Jesus Christ died so that my wrongs could be forgiven”. So I can certainly extend that same grace to you. That was a powerful moment in my life. FULL FEATURE

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