American Idol finalist Zachariah Smith, 19, married wife Crysta, 32, just months after her divorce f

Publish date: 2024-03-15

AMERICAN Idol finalist Zachariah Smith married his much older wife, Crysta Wilkerson, just months after her divorce from the father of her three kids, The U.S. Sun has exclusively learned.

As a favorite to win the show, Zachariah charmed fans with his talent and devotion to his wife and stepchildren, but the timeline of the couple's romance was unclear.

According to Mississippi divorce records obtained exclusively by The U.S. Sun, Crysta officially split from her previous husband in April 2022.

Crysta and her ex share joint custody of their three children ages ten, nine, and five.

The ex-couple split cited "irreconcilable differences" in the documents.

By November 2022, when Zachariah's audition episode was filmed in Nashville, he was introducing Crysta to audiences as his wife.

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Sources have reported Zachariah and Crysta tied the knot in September 2022. However, the Monroe County Mississippi Clerk was not able to confirm this information.

Zachariah has not yet responded to The U.S. Sun's request for comment.

BETTER TOGETHER

On American Idol, Zachariah was told by judge Luke Bryan to "burn the apron" and quit his job back home flipping burgers.

However, the show did not mention that his supportive wife Crysta is the manager of the same famous Mississippi burger joint Zachariah was working for.

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Crysta has been working in the business, which has been passed down in her family, for close to twenty years, according to a segment for the regional television station WTVA.

Crysta and Zachariah ran the burger joint together at that time, according to the same outlet.

'SO SWEET'

Despite the 13-year age gap, many fans appear to be supportive of Crysta and Zachariah's relationship.

Most recently, Zachariah shared a photo of his family on Instagram enjoying a day at Disneyland ahead of a Disney-themed American Idol special.

One fan commented: "Such a cute photo!"

Another said: "Such a sweet family."

Yet a third posted: "Sweet and adorable!"

About a month ago, Zachariah posted a tribute to his wife.

He shared a photo of himself planting a kiss on her cheek as she smiled at the camera.

Zachariah captioned the pic: "I don't think I could ever give enough credit to this beauty!

"She handles my hectic schedule, runs a restaurant, and manages to be the best mom to our three kiddos."

FINAL FIVE

Zachariah made it to the final five along with co-stars Wé Ani, Colin Stough, Iam Tongi, and Megan Danielle.

Many thought that Sara Beth Liebe could've made it all the way, but she shocked fans after announcing her exit shortly after she accused Katy Perry of making “mom-shaming” remarks.

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Kaya Stewart and Beckett McDowell also dropped out of Season 21.

New episodes can be watched live on Sundays starting at 8pm EST on local ABC stations.

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