Maddie Poppe has a new boyfriend, and she’s ready to share that news with the world. The Season 16 American Idol winner confirmed that she is in a new relationship following her public romance with now ex-boyfriend and fellow Idol alum Caleb Lee Hutchinson.
On Sunday (July 23) night, Poppe took to Instagram, sharing a Polaroid of her with her arms wrapped around her current beau, giving away the fact that her relationship status has changed since appearing on the reality TV reality show.
“Happy,” Poppe simply captioned alongside the snapshot, including a heart emoji in her post.
Who Is Maddie Poppe’s New Boyfriend?
It turns out the man in the picture is not Hutchinson, but rather Gabe Burdulis — a Nashville-based singer/songwriter and guitarist, who is currently touring with country artist Brittney Spencer. Aside from Spencer, Burdulis has released music as a solo artist, and has toured with artists like Brooke Eden and Michha Nelson.
Needless to say Poppe’s post has drawn some confusion among her fan base, and followers didn’t hesitate to comment and question the relationship update.
“You and Caleb broke up?!” One person commented in surprise.
“Aw. This is sweet,” another person wrote, showing support for Poppe’s decision to date someone new. “I didn’t know you split with Caleb. You two were so sweet together, but happy you are happy♥️”
“You two are beautiful together!! Happy for you girl!! I’ve been following you forever always have had nothing but admiration. xo,” a third follower captioned.
Poppe Broke Up With Caleb Lee Hutchinson
Prior to going public with her latest post, Poppe had been seen dating Hutchinson. The former pair also competed on American Idol, first forming a friendship that eventually blossomed into a full-fledged relationship leading up to the grand finale. While Poppe won the show, Hutchinson was the runner-up, and during the final broadcast, the two confirmed they were in a relationship together.
“Well, you know, Maddie is like my best pal,” Hutchinson told Idol host Ryan Seacrest, at the time. “I’ve known her since the beginning of Hollywood Week, and yeah. She actually happens to be my girlfriend.”
Poppe and Hutchinson also shared the Idol stage as part of The Great Idol Reunion in May of 2022, performing Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s “Islands In The Stream.”
Following her Idol triumph, Poppe released a string of music while pursuing a long-distance relationship with Hutchinson. One of the songs she released, called “Not Losing You,” was inspired by her romance with Hutchinson.
“I wrote this the day after — we had had a conversation the night before about how tough it is for both musicians. It’s hard being in a long-distance relationship, trying to pursue the same career. It’s hard because sometimes something great will be happening for him, and I’ll be having a meltdown,” she told PEOPLE. “So it’s very all over the place, and I just wanted to write a song saying, ‘I know that it’s hard, and sometimes the music industry can suck.’ It’s not easy all the time, but at least we have each other at the end of the day.”
Breakup Single “Screw You A Little Bit”
Poppe didn’t openly address her breakup with Hutchinson in interviews. She also didn’t share when exactly the two parted ways. However, she did share that she will always be fond of their relationship during an interview with Iowa’s KWAY while promoting her breakup single, “Screw You a Little Bit.”
“This [song] is not about who everyone thinks it’s about,” she said, referring to Hutchinson. “That relationship, I still have a place in my heart, and I have nothing but love and respect on that side of things. So this is NOT about that person because I don’t have negative things to say about that particular person. If you are out there and if you are wondering. There you go.”
Additionally, Maddie Poppe is on the road as part of her headlining Summer 2023 tour. The trek, which launched on July 6 in Swisher, IA, features fellow Idol alum, Megan Danielle.
Poppe’s tour wraps on Aug. 26 in Tucson AZ, before she joins Backstreet Boy, Nick Carter for his Who I Am 2023 Tour.
