Heavy "American Idol" couple breaks up
Three years after first appearing on “American Idol,” auditioning for the show’s celebrity judges as a couple, country duo Kat+Alex has announced they’ve parted ways both personally and professionally.
“Our hearts are heavy to have to make this announcement,” the married couple wrote in a joint Instagram statement on July 17, 2023, revealing that they’d decided to go their separate ways “musically and romantically.”
When Kat Luna and Alex Garrido, who went by the moniker “Space Cowboy,” auditioned in front of Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie on season 18 in 2020, they sang Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” from the movie “A Star is Born.” The judges loved their harmonies but critiqued them as separate contestants, eventually allowing them both to advance.
As soloists, neither made it past Hollywood Week. But the country music industry noticed the duo, whom Bryan dubbed “the ‘American Idol’ Ken and Barbie,” and shortly after they moved to Nashville and got engaged that summer, per CMT, they signed with Sony Music Nashville. To forge ahead as Kat+Alex, Garrido dropped his stage name “Space Cowboy” and adopted a new stage name, Alex Georgia.
Fans are stunned by the announcement, since the two seemed to be in lockstep with each other as recently as April, when they teased fans on Instagram that they were “up to something really exciting.” And in June, they posted a joint video from the Tractor Supply Emerging Artists showcase. Here’s what you need to know:
Kat & Alex Splitting After 2 Years of Marriage
GettyKat Luna and Alex Garrido in February 2023
In January 2021, according to E! News, the couple got married near Nashville. In a since-deleted Instagram post, the outlet reported, Luna shared that they were “OFFICIALLY MR & MRS GEORGIA,” adding that “since the first day I met you I knew you were the one. You are my protector, my superhero, my husband , and most importantly the one I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with!”
The couple, who met at a Miami church, exclusively shared photos with People of their wedding at Cactus Creek Barn in Dickson, Tennessee.
“We’ve been talking about this day since shortly after we met,” Luna told the magazine.
Kat+Alex released their self-titled EP in September 2022, co-writing every track but “Marry You,” which was written by Maren Morris and Busbee, according to Music Row. They recently finished touring the U.S., opening for The War & Treaty. According to CMT, they have released multiple popular songs and are known for releasing their music in both Spanish and English, named one of Billboard’s “Emerging Latin Artist to Watch in 2023.”
In their lengthy joint statement on July 17 announcing their split, the couple wrote, “After 4 years of love and music, we have mutually decided to part ways both musically and romantically. We are so incredibly grateful for the time God has given us together with not only each other, but with y’all.”
Instead of moving forward as Kat+Alex, the couple said, “we will still be pursuing our dreams individually as Kat Luna and Alex Georgia.”
Fans Shocked By News of Kat+Alex’s Split
Though the comments were turned off on Kat+Alex’s post announcing their breakup, fans have been leaving comments on their other social media posts to express shock and dismay over their seemingly out-of-the-blue split.
On Instagram, one wrote, “So devastated and heartbroken. 😢 I loved your music, videos and getting to meet you in Los Angeles, CA. Was anticipating watching you making it big in the country scene with your Latino country songs. 💔 Best of luck to you both and God bless. 🙏🏽”
“I’m definitely super heartbroken,” another fan wrote. “You two made incredible music, created a market in country music making latin country music possible, and had a solid foundation. I will miss ya 😢”
The day after the announcement, Georgia, 30, posted Instagram photos of himself in Nashville, sitting on a front porch smoking cigars with his dad and a friend, and wrote, “Surrounded by love 🖤.” He shared similar photos and videos in his Instagram Stories with the caption, “In Good Company.”
Meanwhile, on July 19, Luna, 23, posted an Instagram video of herself at home, singing a cover of Adele’s “Love in the Dark” with a dog in her lap and candles burning in the background.
The breakup song begins with the lines, “Take your eyes off of me so I can leave / I’m far too ashamed to do it with you watching me / This is never ending, we have been here before /But I can’t stay this time ’cause I don’t love you anymore.”