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Did American Idol winner Jamal Roberts reject key to city of Laurel? Here's what we know about death threats
Jamal Roberts, winner of American Idol Season 23, declined the key to Laurel, Mississippi, after receiving death threats and backlash.
Jamal Roberts, the winner of American Idol Season 23,has chosen to turn down a key to the city of Laurel, Mississippi, after receiving death threats and a lot of negative feedback. On August 2, 2025, he was supposed to play at the Noir & Blanc event at the L.T. Ellis Centre in Laurel, but he declined the key to the city.
The R&B singer recently used Facebook Live to address concerns after a debate broke out over plans to give him a key to the city that became famous by HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier over the past ten years.
Meanwhile, Laurel residents slammed the announcement, claiming that residents who have contributed to the community in different ways have not been given the same recognition.
Jamal Roberts reacts to death threats
Roberts stated on his Facebook Live that his next performance in Laurel, which is just a short drive from Meridian, his birthplace, has been “booked forever.” Roberts claimed he had not heard anything about receiving a key to the city before local event planner Drake Paige announced on Facebook on June 27 that Mayor Magee had authorized the unique award.
“You have people sharing the post, making threats, talking about they’ll have guns at the event. I worked with kids before American Idol, and it’s crazy that … kids can comprehend (how to behave) more than grown folk. It’s a sad world we live in,” Roberts said while interacting with the followers and addressing the backlash. “I don’t want it, respectfully. You can have it. Tell them I’m appreciative, but I politely decline.”
Jamal Roberts to release a new song
Later, Roberts declared that he will release a new song devoted to his home state of Mississippi. “That’s gonna be my first record. My first record I’m gonna drop is gonna be a song back to the to the state. Tell them how appreciative I am. You know, people just don’t expect good things to come out of Mississippi no more, and when they do, they don’t know how to handle it,” he said.
Earlier, the singer received a key to the city of Alabama during a performance in mid-June.
