Caleb Kennedy leaves 'American Idol' after controversial video surfaces on social media
"I know this has hurt and disappointed a lot of people," the singer posted on social media.
Singer Caleb Kennedy is leaving "American Idol" after a controversial video surfaced on social media.
A source close to the production confirms to On The Red Carpet that Kennedy will no longer be moving forward in the competition. Sunday's episode will feature performances by the Top 4 with one contestant elimination.
"Hey y'all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise, but I am no longer gonna be on American Idol," the 16-year-old singer stated in a social media post. "There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken that way. I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that's not an excuse."
In the Snapchat video, Kennedy is seen sitting next to a person who is wearing a white hood, resembling Ku Klux Klan apparel. The singer's family said that the video was recorded when Kennedy was 12 years old.
"I wanna say sorry to all my fans and everyone who I have let down. 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," Kennedy continued.
Kennedy made it into the Top 5 last week after singing Coldplay's "Violet Hill" and original song "Mama Said" in honor of Mother's Day.
"American Idol" airs live coast-to-coast on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET | 7:00 p.m. CT | 5:00 p.m. PT on ABC.
