“American Idol” finalist Caleb Kennedy is leaving the singing competition show after a controversial video of him surfaced online.
The short video shows the former “Idol” contestant sitting next to someone wearing a Ku Kux Klan-like hood and has the word “bow” written on screen.
On Wednesday, Caleb took to his Instagram to address the video and announce he was stepping down from “American Idol.”
“Hey y’all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise, but I am no longer gonna be on American Idol. 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,” he wrote.
Caleb then went on to apologize and say that he was taking a break from social media.
“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 loose 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.”
Caleb’s last “American Idol” performance was on Sunday, when he wowed the judges with his country-rock cover of Coldplay’s “Violet Hill.” Caleb was one of the Top 5 contestants on the show as they head toward the finale.
Access Hollywood’s podcast “The Vault” features decades worth of A-list interviews and never-before-heard moments with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Listen now!