'American Idol' Contestant Syesha Mercado Talks Fight to Keep Her Children

After a video showed authorities taking away 'American Idol' contestant Syesha Mercado’s daughter, the singer has opened up about her fight to keep her kids.

After a video showed authorities taking away American Idol contestant Syesha Mercado’s daughter, the singer has opened up about the fight to keep her kids.

In a new interview with TMZ, Mercado spoke about how she’s been feeling after both of her children were taken away from her by child protective services.

"This is my first time being a Mom, and I’ve been deprived of holding my babies, and feeding my babies,” she said in her interview with TMZ, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t get to see Ra say mama for the first time. I didn’t get to see my babies meet for the first time. I didn’t get to see that and I can’t go back and redo that moment, I will never be able to go back and redo that moment. I’m just missing out on so many precious moments, such a precious time. I feel my daughter. I feel when she’s hungry and when she’s crying. And I, I can’t do anything. She’s not here with me. I’ve been deprived of that and I don’t know how to articulate it. It hurts so bad.” 

Joined by the father of both of her children, Tyron Deener, the two explained that they’ve no criminal background and they feel as though authorities are unfairly targeting them. “Our life revolves around health, balance and doing what we can to guide our children,” Deener added. “Nothing that we do is detrimental to our babies."

The clip in question was shared by Mercado on Wednesday, and showed the Manatee County, Florida police department surround her vehicle in an attempt to take her days-old daughter away from her. She was forced to surrender her baby in the welfare check, just months after her one-year-old son Amen’Ra was taken from her custody, too.


The welfare check was reportedly sparked by allegations of malnutrition, which the two have denied. Their son Amen’Ra was put into foster care in March after Mercado couldn’t breast feed him anymore, and he wouldn’t accept other liquids. 

At a virtual press conference, per WFLA, Mercado denied allegations from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office regarding malnourishment and then refusing to give Amen’Ra a B12 shot when he was on the verge of death. “We never refused a B12 shot, and at no point was he on the verge of death,” Mercado said. “My family and I are just one in countless other stories of legal kidnapping that go unheard and unseen.”

They additionally said that when her breast milk supply ran dry, she went to the hospital to seek help with her children. “We should have never been criminalized for getting assistance for something,” she added.

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