‘American Idol’ Finalist Caleb Kennedy Exits After Video Surfaces With Companion in KKK-Like Hood
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“American Idol” finalist Caleb Kennedy exited the show after a video surfaced in which he is seated next to an individual wearing a hood that resembles the garb of the Ku Klux Klan.
The 16-year-old country singer took to Instagram to break the news.
A post shared by Caleb Kennedy (@calebkennedyofficial)
“Hey y’all this is gonna be a bit of a surprise, but I am no longer going to be on American Idol,” Kennedy 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.”
Kennedy was 12 years old at the time the video was recorded.
He continued: “I wanna say I’m 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. 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.”
Kennedy’s mother, Anita Guy, told the Herald-Journal of Spartanburg, S.C. that the video “was taken after Caleb had watched the movie ‘The Strangers: Prey at Night’ and they were imitating those characters.” She added, “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.”
Kennedy’s covers of Willie Nelson, Jason Aldean and, most recently, Coldplay had landed him a spot in the final five on “Idol”. Sunday’s episode of the long-running singing competition show will not feature Kennedy and will eliminate another contestant from the final four instead.
Read original story ‘American Idol’ Finalist Caleb Kennedy Exits After Video Surfaces With Companion in KKK-Like Hood At TheWrap
