What Happened To Caleb Kennedy On American Idol?
The final five on "American Idol" is now just a final four. Caleb Kennedy, who had already made it quite far in the competition, will no longer be competing on the show, he announced this week. Kennedy's departure comes prior to Sunday's live show, which was set to feature the contestants singing their victory songs, as well as a song by their musical heroes. The episode was going to feature a double elimination, but following Kennedy's departure, only a single contestant will be sent home.
Kennedy's decision to step away from the competition was quite sudden and has left many fans wondering why he's no longer competing on the series. As it turns out, Caleb's departure came after he faced an online backlash over an old video of him resurfaced on the internet. Kennedy, who is 16 now, was 12 when the video was taken. It features him wearing something that resembles a Ku Klux Klan hood.
Kennedy apologized for the video while announcing his departure
After the video resurfaced, Kennedy announced that he would not be returning to the show in a post on Instagram. "Hey y'all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise, but I am no longer gonna be on 'American Idol,'" he wrote. "There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way. I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that's not an excuse."
"I wanna say sorry to all my fans and everyone who I have let down," he continued. "I'll be taking a little time off social media to better myself, but saying that, I know this has hurt and disappointed a lot of people and made people lose respect for me. I'm so sorry!"
"I pray that I can one day regain your trust in who I am and have your respect! Thank you for supporting me," his statement concluded.
Kennedy's mom came to his defense
After Kennedy announced that he would be stepping away from the show, his mother Anita Guy gave an interview to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal in which she suggested that her son had been treated unfairly.
"I hate this has happened and how Caleb is being portrayed by people online," she said. This video was taken after Caleb had watched the movie 'The Strangers: Prey at Night' and they were imitating those characters. It had nothing to do with the Ku Klux Klan, but I know that's how it looks. Caleb doesn't have a racist bone in his body. He loves everyone and has friends of all races."
Kennedy's journey on "American Idol" has come to an end, but the show will still crown a winner in just a few weeks. The series, which is now in its 19th season, airs weekly on Sundays on ABC.