American Idol Contestant, Emmy Russell, Posts This Cryptic Message on Her Instagram Story

Emmy Russell, the granddaughter of the country icon Loretta Lynn, has emerged as a leading competitor on American Idol, and from the looks of it, she might also be the contestant who steals the mighty title. However, according to Screen Rant, Russel recently posted a cryptic Instagram story that addressed the ongoing criticism she is constantly facing. Despite her clear growth, not everyone is celebrating her advancement to the top 5 of this season. Some individuals expressed that Russell was not a great fit for the top 5 when compared to her fellow contestants.

In the Instagram Story, Russell shared a quotation from Dr. Caroline Leaf. It read, "Honesty without kindness is cruelty. Kindness without honesty is manipulation." This sparked a heated discussion on a Reddit thread. One user commented, "I feel bad that everyone says such mean things about her. She has feelings too." Another person wrote, "She's probably seen every cruel comment people have left about or for her."

A third user wrote, "I get having opinions and getting upset over results but people gotta realize that the contestants are just people too. You can be upset and have opinions without being nasty and disrespectful. And at the end of the day, it’s just a show. The important part is supporting who you enjoy and just ignoring the contestants you don’t like. It’s not hard to just be a respectful person, and this goes towards all contestants." Another user chimed, "Yeah, this is why I choose to keep any negative feelings about contestants, even if it's not hateful, to myself."

Although Russell didn’t give any context for her story, it’s possible that she was addressing the harsh online hate she’s been getting from American Idol fans. Meanwhile, showing support for Russell, fellow contestant Abi Carter also addressed the issue, delving into Russel's kind and good-natured character. As reported by American Songwriter, in an Instagram comment, Carter said, “I will say this once. Anyone leaving hate comments needs to understand that REAL PEOPLE with REAL FEELINGS and REAL LIVES are reading these comments."

Carter added, "When you say negative things about people, (especially people you have never met and know little to nothing about) it says a lot more about you than it says about the person you’re hating on. Emmy is the most kind, talented, and special woman I have ever had the pleasure and luck of meeting." She continued, “If you had the opportunity to meet her even for a second, you would understand EXACTLY why she is here and deserves to be here. Continue to be mad and complain while her songs are touching millions of people who relate and feel moved by her. That’s all.”