One tribute. One song. And suddenly, Aubreigh Wyatt’s name echoed across America—giving her mom the space to finally break down, breathe, and begin to move forward. During the season 24 premiere of American Idol on Jan. 26, Heather Wyatt stood on that stage not as a contestant, but as a mother carrying a story too heavy to keep quiet. She gently told the judges—Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan—that her daughter Aubreigh, whom she lost to suicide in 2023, was the reason she was there. Beside her was 15-year-old singer-songwriter Khloe Grace, a young girl who had written a song from the heart to honor Aubreigh.

Aubreigh Wyatt was an eighth grade student who died by suicide in 2023.

The 13-year-old was born and raised in Ocean Springs, Miss., and was a straight A student at Ocean Springs Middle School, per her obituary. She was involved in youth programs at her local church and also enjoyed gymnastics and making social media videos.

Aubreigh died by suicide on Sept. 4, 2023. Since then, her mother, Heather Wyatt, has become a major advocate against bullying, as she claims that Aubreigh was relentlessly harassed prior to her death.

Heather got emotional while remembering her daughter’s life and legacy on the season 24 premiere of American Idol, which aired on Jan. 26. During the episode, hopeful contestant Khloe Grace performed a song written in remembrance of Aubreigh.

Here’s everything to know about Aubreigh Wyatt.

Aubreigh was an eighth grade student in Mississippi

Aubreigh was a 13-year-old eighth grade student from Ocean Springs, Miss.

“Aubreigh was a straight A student, an amazing daughter, sister, and friend,” her obituary read. “She loved the beach, her friends, gymnastics, riding four wheelers and making TikToks. Aubreigh was well known and loved in the community, especially for her outgoing and bubbly personality.”

In addition to her mother, Aubreigh is survived by her sister, brother and grandfather. Heather has used social media to open up about her grief and share her daughter’s story. Aubreigh’s name and photos began to spread after her death, and the hashtag #LLAW (Live Like Aubreigh Wyatt) started trending as well.

Heather has also used her platform to advocate for mental health care. In an update on their GoFundMe page from July 11, 2024, Heather urged people to make donations to “local therapists and counselors” and to “check in with local crisis centers to see if there’s anyone that needs help.”

Aubreigh’s mom, Heather, claimed that bullying led to her daughter’s death

Heather claimed that consistent bullying led to her daughter’s death, stating that at least four girls harassed Aubreigh, per Newsweek. Heather has also called for the kids and their parents to be held accountable.

Although Heather never named the four girls publicly, internet sleuths ascertained the identities of the girls Heather claimed bullied her daughter, and their names were circulated widely. Purported texts between Heather and Aubreigh detailing the alleged bullying were also shared online.

Investigations by local police and a youth court found no evidence that the four teens were responsible for Aubreigh’s death, per The Washington Post.

Heather and the parents of the alleged four bullies were entangled in lawsuits

In response to their daughters’ names being circulated online, the parents of the four alleged bullies filed a lawsuit against Heather, claiming defamation and slander, The Washington Post reported. After the July 2, 2024, filing, a judge also ruled that Heather must shut down all of her social media accounts. Many social media users were outraged at the ruling, claiming it violated Heather’s freedom of speech.

According to Newsweek, the complaint against Heather read, in part, “As a direct and proximate cause of the false, defamatory, and slanderous social media posts of the defendant, Heather Wyatt, the plaintiffs’ minor children have been receiving insulting and revolting messages from around the world attacking them, calling them vulgar names, sexualizing them. These young ladies WERE IN THE 8TH GRADE!!”

However, on July 16, 2024, the parents dropped the lawsuit, according to a filing shared by Vicksburg News and reviewed by PEOPLE. The case was “dismissed without prejudice,” meaning the parents can file it in the future should they choose. Days later, the social media ban against Heather was lifted by the judge overseeing the case and her TikTok profile came back online.

Heather filed a lawsuit against the Ocean Springs School District

In February 2025, the Sun Herald reported that Heather had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Ocean Springs School District, claiming that they — along with the superintendent and the school board — were negligent and violated state and federal laws that are intended to protect children from bullying.

Heather shared the news of her lawsuit in a public post on Facebook, writing, “I will continue this fight for Aubreigh. I. Will. Not. Stop. My daughter’s death will NOT be in vain. The pain and suffering she endured will be acknowledged. Her story will be heard. Her light will never be dimmed.”

Trey Brennan, spokesman for Ocean Springs School District, shared the following statement with PEOPLE.

“Ocean Springs School District continues to extend its deepest condolences to the Wyatt family as they mourn the loss of Aubreigh Wyatt,” he said. “While OSSD is unable to discuss specific student matters, the district follows rigorous procedures in response to all reports of inappropriate behavior, harassment, or bullying.”

Brennan continued, “Despite misinformation being spread on social media, our administrators have been and will remain committed to addressing all reported incidents with integrity and dedication to the well-being of our students.”

Heather honored her daughter on the season 24 premiere of American Idol

Heather continued remembering Aubreigh while appearing on the season 24 premiere of American Idol on Jan. 26. During the auditions episode, Heather introduced 15-year-old singer-songwriter Grace, who wrote a song dedicated to Aubreigh.

“I am not a contestant. My name is Heather Wyatt. I’m here to introduce Khloe Grace. Khloe is a young girl, who about a year ago, wrote and performed a song in honor of my daughter, Aubreigh, that we lost to suicide in 2023,” Heather told judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

Grace explained to the judges that she’d be singing her original song, “13 Forever.”

“Something kept telling me to write that song, so I did,” she shared. “I’ve never met her. I couldn’t [get the story out of my mind] and it did just relate … I felt that so much in my heart to write this song [and] I went through some of the things Aubreigh went through, and it was really hard. So I was like, if I could write something that could just very small help someone, then it’s totally worth me writing this song.”

Heather added that she heard Grace perform the song for the first time on TikTok and “immediately cried” about how the lyrics “reflected what Aubreigh had gone through.”

“Aubreigh is my forever 13-year-old daughter,” Heather said. “She is bright, beautiful, talented, and she endured years of bullying, social media pressures and took her life Sept. 4, 2023. Just very unexpected.”

Grace’s song brought all the judges to tears and earned her a unanimous vote to move on to the next round of competition.

“The maturity you possess is quite incredible,” Underwood told the singer. “The way you had your heart broken for someone you didn’t even know and take that and basically say that something positive is going to come out of it. And think about all the people who hear that and see your story and change their mind. It’s pretty incredible.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.