American Idol: Caleb Kennedy Out of Season 19 After Racist Video Surfaces

Caleb Kennedy is no longer in the running to become the next American Idol after a video surfaced online in which the contestant is seated next to someone wearing what looks like a Ku Klux Klan hood.

“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 wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday. “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. 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.”

See Kennedy’s Instagram post in full below:

(And click here to see screenshots from the video in question.)

Kennedy was voted into the Top 5 of Season 19 on Sunday, alongside Chayce Beckham, Grace Kinstler, Willie Spence and Casey Bishop. TVLine has learned that those four singers will compete on Sunday with a single elimination, rather than a double elimination. Despite fan outcry, Kennedy’s spot in the competition will not be given to a previously eliminated contestant.

More to come. For now, what are your thoughts on the situation? Drop ’em in a comment below.

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