Fact Check: Did 'American Idol' winner Jamal Roberts give away his winnings to an elementary school?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Following his win on ‘American Idol’, Jamal Roberts has already climbed to the top of the Gospel charts with his powerful rendition of ‘Heal’, a song that's become both a personal anthem and a message of hope for his listeners.  

Now, a feel-good story about the Season 23 winner's supposed philanthropic gesture has been making waves on social media. So, let's find out if there's any truth to it. 

Claim: Jamal Roberts donated his 'American Idol' winnings to an elementary school 

Posts claiming that Jamal Roberts donated his entire $500,000 prize to renovate Mississippi's Crestwood Elementary School and provide free education for low-income students have since gone viral on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X. 

The rumor gained traction shortly after the Mississippi native's winning performance aired on May 18, 2025. 

Most posts repeated the same narrative that Roberts "fulfilled his promise" to give back to the school where he once taught physical education, as reported by fact-checking website Snopes.

Fact Check: No, Jamal Roberts did not donate his prize money to an elementary school

While Jamal Roberts did work as a physical education teacher at Crestwood Elementary School, there is no evidence that he pledged or donated his prize money to Crestwood Elementary or any other school, for that matter. 

No reputable news outlet has reported such a contribution, and neither Roberts nor the Meridian Public School District has confirmed the claim.

In a video interview with Us Weekly posted on May 28, 2025, Roberts said he had not yet received his winnings and that he planned to “put it in the bank.”

He made no mention of a donation. Moreover, the $500,000 figure cited in the rumors appears to be inflated.

Previous winners of 'American Idol', including Maddie Poppe in 2018, have disclosed receiving $250,000 in two installments tied to record production, and even that amount is subject to taxes and recoupment.

Furthermore, the claim suggests the donation would support “free education for low-income households,” but that’s misleading. Crestwood Elementary is a public school in the Meridian Public School District, meaning it is already publicly funded and does not charge tuition.

So, where did the rumor come from? The claim appears to have originated from a misleading YouTube video posted on May 24, 2025, by a channel called Digital Media. The video uses real footage of Roberts but inserts a different speaker midway through, falsely stating the donation occurred.

The video's description also includes inaccurate information about Roberts, including his age, listing it as 23 when he is 27.

Notably, Digital Media describes itself as a channel focused on “last moments” and tributes to deceased individuals, raising further doubts about its credibility. Despite these red flags, the video has racked up over 16,000 views, and its misleading language was widely echoed in subsequent posts.

Jamal Roberts is 'living the dream' after 'American Idol' win

Jamal Roberts is still riding the high of his ‘American Idol’ victory, and for the 27-year-old Mississippi native, he is “living the dream.” Crowned the Season 23 winner during a dramatic finale watched by millions, Roberts received the highest number of votes in the show’s history, as per Audacy.

Speaking with The ‘Big Tigger Morning Show’ on V-103 in Atlanta, the former gym teacher said the moment didn’t quite register at first.

“Oh man, it took Ryan forever to read my name off,” he said while laughing. “I had my head down, and when they said 26 million votes, I just felt this peace come over me and I was like, ‘man, that had to be my people,’ you know, ‘showing up for me in a big way.’ They did exactly that,” Roberts added.

He credits his loyal fan base for keeping him going. “They had my back the entire season and that was the reason I was pushing so hard because they kept supporting me and motivating me week by week. It felt amazing just to know that there was somebody that was excited to see me take the stage every Sunday and Monday.”