American Idol Judge Jennifer Lopez Explains On-Screen Meltdown

American Idol fan favorite Chris Medina, who stole the country's heart during his audition in Milwaukee, did not make season 10's Top 24. When it came time to deliver the bad news, it was judge Jennifer Lopez who broke down in tears on national television.

"It was just honestly a pleasure to meet someone like you," Jennifer, 41, told Chris, 26. "It was a blessing and a moment in my life I'll always remember.”

Speaking with Ryan Seacrest this morning on his nationally syndicated radio show, Jennifer explained why she was unable to control her emotions.

"I just couldn't believe I had to deliver this news to this person who had been through a lot—and is going through a lot…. I felt like I didn't it do it well enough to send him into where he needed to go in his life and be Okay,” she said. “And I didn't want to be a part of that moment in his life… He handled it with such dignity and such class—that made it worse for me. [Laughs.] It was like, 'Oh, he's so awesome. I respect this person so much, and it was just tough.'"

Lopez acknowledged that the move to unscripted television is a “vulnerable” place to be.

“Even though I'm an emotional and passionate person, I'm very in control of my emotions. I've had to be, over the years, being in the public eye,” she said. “You have to learn how to suck it up, but that was actually a moment that I didn't expect to be on-camera, in the show. It was really how I felt in that moment. It was really hard."

Fans are already bringing up the possibility of Medina's return via a wild card round, which the judges will reveal on Idol's March 3 episode.