There’s no denying that Fritz Hager and Leah Marlene have gotten close over the course of their American Idol season 20 journeys. After Leah made it into the top 3 and Fritz did not, Leah immediately fell to the ground and then hugged Fritz. Fans have been speculating that these two could be dating, and Fritz set the record straight after the May 15 show.
“Oh, no. No. She’s like my sister. She’s great,” Fritz told reporters, including HollywoodLife. “We’ve been in this competition together, working together since Hollywood Week, and to get this far with her is special.”
The singer also started to tear up revealing what he said to Leah as they shared a hug on stage. “I just told her I was proud of her,” an emotional Fritz said about Leah. He added, “I told her I love her [and] that I’m proud of her. I am so excited to see what’s next from her. I really believe in her. I think she could go all the way. Anyone that voted for me this week needs to vote for Leah.”
Leah also noted in her post-show interview, “We have been in this from the beginning. He was my duet partner in Hollywood Week, and he’s one of my best friends in the whole wide world. I want nothing but the universe for that man. It’s really bittersweet having to get split up, but that’s the nature of the show so I think we were just both so proud of each other and screaming that to each other.”
Leah made the top 3 of season 20 alongside Noah Thompson and HunterGirl. Fritz and Nicolina were eliminated. Following the elimination and the top 3 reveal, Fritz posted a sweet photo of himself with Leah.
“I’ll be honest, ending it here is tough, but I am so incredibly grateful. For the friends. For the memories. For the music. This is not the end, it’s just page 1,” he captioned the picture. One thing’s for sure, this is just the beginning of Leah and Fritz’s friendship.
Fritz and Leah were partnered for a duet during Hollywood Week. Their adorable personalities brought out the best in each other as they performed “Locked Out Of Heaven” by Bruno Mars. “Both of you brought the other one out,” Lionel Richie told the pair at the time. “The whole is better than the individual parts.” Since then, Fritz and Leah have continued to bond as they moved forward in the competition.
Leah will be competing in the season 20 finale, which will air May 22 on ABC. Fritz and more American Idol season 20 alum are expected to return for the grand finale.