Remember Chris Medina from American Idol?Sure you do.
He was the Milwaukee contestant who told the sad story about his Fiancee Juliana Ramos being in a car accident, suffering life threatening brain injuries, and now confined to a wheelchair.
The story brought Jennifer Lopez to tears. Chris made it through the elimination rounds and made it into the top 40 before he was sent home.
Early on, American Idol seemed to focus on Medina and Juliana's story like a laser beam, even going as far as having Juliana come into the audition room to meet the judges.
It really is a tragic story and the producers at Idol really played it up – some say for the ratings. But how far are they willing to go to show the love now?
Not very far.
Chris says he has not heard from Idol since he was eliminated, and that he has not been asked to be in the audience during the finale show like many of the other contestants.
He does say that the opportunity to share his story has helped get the word out about his fiancee and the incredible medical bills that are mounting.
Since his exit from A.I he has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live with Regis and Kelly, Good Morning America, and On-Air with Ryan Seacrest.
In fact, the day after he was eliminated he released a single on iTunes called “What are words” that has sold over 75,000 copies to date. The song is about his relationship with Juliana and the emotions that erupt with these types of brain injuries.
Even though the producers of American Idol seem to be missing in action, host Ryan Seacrest has done something for the young couple.
In a radio interview with Chris, Ryan announced $35,000 worth of donations for his Juliana’s medical bills. It brought the singer to tears and is really a touching video – it even had actor Topher Grace entering the studio early to say he would match the donation for a total of $70,000.
Watch Ryan Seacrest Radio interview with Chris Medina
Medina’s latest video for his single “What are words” is very touching and we can see why he made it into the American Idol top 40. He really does have a great voice.
Watch Chris Medina Music Video “What are words”
Hopefully, American Idol will get wind of all the press about this and offer Chris and Juliana a front row seat next week during the final show of the season.
So, was American Idol just using Chris Medina for ratings?
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