Simon Cowell — famous for his brash and unapologetic public image — made plenty of cringeworthy comments on “American Idol,” and the late Mandisa was at one time on the receiving end of those infamous jabs.
In resurfaced videos, Mandisa, who passed away on April 18, can be seen calling Cowell out for hurtful jokes he made about her weight after her audition for season 5 of “American Idol.”
Cowell praised Mandisa’s vocals and called her audition “terrific,” but then said, “Could we have a huge stage this year?” alluding to the vocalist-songwriter’s size. Then, when fellow judge Paula Abdul compared her to 2003 contestant Frenchie Davis, Cowell shot back, “Forget Frenchie; she’s like France.”
It wasn’t until she watched the audition later that Mandisa, who had already left the room after being advanced to the next level of the competition, heard the mean-spirited comments Cowell made.
In a beautiful moment, Mandisa used what was certainly an uncomfortable confrontation as a chance to share the love of Jesus with the known judge.
“Simon, a lot of people want me to say a lot of things to you,” Mandisa started in the now-famous confrontation. “But this is what I want to say to you. … Yes, you hurt me, and I cried. And it was painful — it really was.
But I want you to know that I’ve forgiven you, and that you don’t need someone to apologize in order to forgive somebody. And I figure, if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you.”
Cowell, for his part, appeared poised for Mandisa’s rebuke, and looked like to take it in stride.
“Mandisa, I’m humbled,” he said, looking somewhat uncomfortable. “Come here, give me a kiss. Give me a kiss. I’m just so appalling, aren’t I? But we like each other now?”
He later included, “I do apologize.”
Ryan Seacrest, the longtime host of “American Idol,” called Mandisa “the woman who did the impossible,” saying, “She made Simon apologize on national tv, and we loved it.”
In a later video commemorating her time as a finalist on “Idol,” Mandisa said she and Cowell “had an understanding” because of the confrontation. He went on to shower her performances with praise during her time on the 2006 season of the singing series, which surfaced on Fox at the time.