“I Was Broken, But I Believed”: Jamal Roberts on Finding Strength Through Faith

As Jamal Roberts continues his rapid ascent from “American Idol” champion to national music sensation, his openness about the past has sparked a wave of conversation—some compassionate, some critical. On June 4, just days after an emotional interview on The Love You Moore Show, the 27-year-old singer from Meridian, Mississippi, took to Facebook Live to address the whirlwind surrounding his personal story—and to set the record straight.

In the original interview, Roberts spoke candidly about his childhood, recalling the pain he felt when his mother, Kim, wasn’t present for much of his early life. His father gained full custody of him and his brother when Jamal was just two years old. As Roberts described it, the absence of his mother left a lasting emotional imprint—one he struggled to make sense of, especially as she went on to raise more children. Still, Roberts made clear in the interview that he’s at peace with that part of his journey and emphasized that his mother is now part of his life again.

But the aftermath of his honesty brought unexpected consequences. Roberts watched as online commenters took his vulnerability and spun it into a narrative he didn’t recognize. Some accused him of throwing his mother under the bus; others tried to dissect the dynamics of a relationship they weren’t part of. So, Roberts did what he’s done since his Idol days: he used his voice. In an hour-long Facebook Live broadcast, streamed from his Nashville hotel room, he gently but firmly reclaimed the story.

“Everybody got something to say,” he said with a knowing smile. “You making long posts about something that don’t even concern you? That ought to just speak for itself.” But Roberts wasn’t bitter—he was grounded, thoughtful, and fiercely compassionate. He reminded his fans that his decision to open up wasn’t about casting blame. It was about sharing truth, faith, and healing. “My story is not bashing anybody. My story is simply saying that you can come out of anything. God will walk with you.”

Throughout the livestream, Roberts repeatedly returned to the theme of healing—not just his own, but others’. The response to his interview, he said, showed just how many people related to what he’d gone through. “I’m so happy I spoke,” he reflected. “All the other people that was afraid … they starting to heal.”

Roberts also acknowledged the people who stood in the gap during the hardest times of his youth. His father, stepmother, and grandparents all played a role in helping him feel whole, he said, and he expressed deep gratitude for their love. “God’s always putting somebody in your life that can just fill that void.”

His mother, Kim, who was a visible and supportive presence throughout his American Idol run, took to Facebook herself that morning. “I’m not embarrassed about anything I went through,” she wrote. “What may be tea for some, it is a testimony for me … if you’re gonna talk about what broke me invite me to the table so I can tell you what God did with the pieces.”

Roberts echoed that grace in his own words. “My mom is not a bad person,” he said plainly. “We all go through different things.” And while he acknowledged the loneliness he felt at times growing up, he didn’t dwell in it. Instead, he pointed to where that pain led him—toward purpose, empathy, and a powerful connection with others who’ve felt similarly unseen.

It’s this message that’s become central to Roberts’ artistry. His heart-wrenching performance of Tom Odell’s “Heal” during Idol wasn’t just a standout vocal moment—it was personal. Roberts said the song felt like a reflection of his own process of letting go, reconnecting, and finding peace. His rendition, now released as a single, rocketed to the top of the Billboard charts. More importantly to Roberts, it resonated with people who are also doing the hard work of healing.

“I’m healing,” he said quietly during the live session. “I have my parents in my life. I love my mom, I love my dad, I love my family … but at a time in my life, I did feel alone.”

Then, before signing off, Roberts looked straight into the camera and offered something simple and powerful: “I love y’all. I love y’all, for real. If you don’t hear it from nobody else, I love you.”

In a world quick to twist vulnerability into spectacle, Jamal Roberts continues to chart a different path—one that centers honesty, growth, and grace. And as his career blossoms, it’s clear he’s not just singing to entertain. He’s singing to heal.