'American Idol' Contestant Honors Late Cheerleaders Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill
'American Idol' contestant John Foster paid tribute to Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill.
Published April 22 2025, 9:40 a.m. ET
Over the years, American Idol has earned a reputation as one of the most emotional reality competition shows — and it's brought many of us to tears more than once. The latest tear-jerking moment came from Season 23 contestant John Foster.
During the April 20, 2025, episode, John took the stage to honor his late friend Maggie Dunn with a touching tribute. With that said, what happened to Maggie and her friend Caroline Gill? Here's everything you need to know.
What happened to Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill?
On New Year's Eve 2022, high school cheerleaders Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill tragically lost their lives when a police officer in Addis, La., ran a red light while pursuing a suspect and crashed into their vehicle. The fatal accident occurred on LA-1 in Brusly, not far from the police station. Maggie's brother, Liam, was also in the car but survived the crash.
According to WBRZ, Officer David Cauthron pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of negligent injuring. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison, with 22 years suspended. The report also revealed that Cauthron was driving 86 miles per hour and never hit the brakes before impact.
Tributes poured in on social media from those close to Maggie and Caroline, including a heartfelt message from their school's cheerleading team.
In a Facebook post, the squad wrote, "As we mourn the tragic deaths of Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill please keep their families, friends, and the BHS community in your thoughts and prayers. Their enthusiasm and bright smiles will be missed more than can be imagined."
'American Idol' contestant John Foster honored the girls with an original song.
Just days after learning of his friend Maggie Dunn's passing, John Foster wrote an original song in her memory. In April 2025, Maggie's mother, Erin Martin, told WBRZ that John sent her a video singing the first verse — and nearly three years later, he performed the full song, "Tell That Angel I Love Her," on American Idol.
At the end of the performance, John whispered into the mic, "I love you, Maggie."
For Erin, hearing Maggie's name and seeing her memory honored means everything: "For John Foster to make the song at all and then to perform it, it's an example, a tangible example of the light and love that Maggie left behind," she said.