On May 4, 2025, American Idol heartthrob John Foster didn’t just sing his way into the Top 8 — he also left thousands of fans swooning and shattered with a single sentence. Midway through the electric two-hour live show, the 18-year-old country singer from Addis, Louisiana, casually revealed his girlfriend was in the audience. Cue the heartbreak.
Judge Luke Bryan joked that the cheers from female fans were so loud he could barely hear out of his left ear. Foster, with a knowing smile, pointed out his girlfriend — and a few cousins — sitting just behind the country star himself. Sorry, ladies. This cowboy’s taken.
Behind the rising star is a love story just as sweet as his southern drawl. John Foster, an aspiring doctor and country crooner, has been dating Brooklyn Bourque, his high school sweetheart and biggest cheerleader.
According to The Advocate, Foster had 31 family members and friends fly out to L.A. for the live taping, but Bourque has been by his side since the beginning of his Idol journey — long before the lights, the cameras, or the screaming fans.
The pair graduated from Brusly High School together in May 2024. Though it’s unclear exactly when their romance began, Bourque posted a throwback photo of them at Homecoming in October 2021. She went to other dances with different classmates, but by late May 2024 — just days after graduation — she and Foster were Instagram official. She posted a cute snap with the caption exchange “launching🤜🏻🤛🏻hard,” to which she replied, “yur😜” — youthful love in its purest form.
Foster is now a freshman at LSU, where he’s majoring in biology with plans to become a “singing oncologist” — a career path he shared with the Idol judges during his standout audition. Despite juggling rehearsals, performances, and national exposure, he’s kept up with his coursework online.
It’s not officially confirmed whether Bourque is also attending LSU, but she was a senior cheer captain at Brusly and sported an LSU T-shirt in a 2024 team post about college plans. Whether they’re crossing campus paths or cheering from opposite sides of the stage, they’re clearly rooting for each other.
Throughout American Idol Season 23, Bourque has been a fixture behind the scenes — and sometimes right up front. She attended Foster’s audition alongside his extended family, and once the episode aired in March, she posted a batch of behind-the-scenes photos from the audition and a golden ticket celebration party. “EEEKKK!!! He’s going to Hollywood!!!!” she wrote. “So proud and grateful to be by your side on this awesome journey. You amaze me everyday and I am so lucky I get to love a cutie patootie like you 😆😆😆”
After Foster made it into the Top 8 during the May 4 episode, Bourque posted another adorable couple photo — this time without his signature cowboy hat — writing, “MY GUY 🤩🤩 So proud of you, I love you 😚 #TOP8.”
She’s been present for nearly every major milestone — from the high-stakes Hollywood Week (filmed in January) to the Hawaiian round at Disney’s Aulani Resort in February. Her support is steady, vocal, and full of heart.
A Song from the Soul
One of Foster’s most emotional moments came during the Easter “Songs of Faith” special, when he performed an original ballad titled Tell That Angel I Love Her, written in honor of his late friend Maggie Dunn. Dunn died in a tragic car accident in 2022. The performance had extra meaning for Bourque, too — she was listed in Dunn’s obituary as one of her two “dearest friends.”
The moment was a raw, heartfelt reminder that Foster isn’t just here for the spotlight — he sings from a place of truth, love, and loss. And Bourque, standing quietly in the wings, remains one of his strongest sources of inspiration.
With another live episode airing on May 5, Foster is back on the Idol stage aiming for the Top 7 — and once again, you can bet Brooklyn Bourque will be cheering him on, either from the crowd or right behind the scenes.
Whether or not he wins the title, John Foster is already living a dream — one supported by family, fueled by talent, and rooted in a love story that started in a high school hallway.
