Caleb Kennedy shocked the American Idol universe when he suddenly quit the competition on Wednesday, May 12 over controversy – and now the show’s judges are talking about his exit.
“Well, losing great talent is always [hard]… this is our class. This is the class of 2021. So, you know, that was an unfortunate situation, “Lionel Richie told Entertainment Tonight of Kennedy’s informal ouster.” We had to roll with what’s going on with it. ABC, and you know, that’s where we play. So you know we wish her all the best, but that was just one of those unfortunate things that happen throughout life.
Prior to what would have been Top 5 performances, the 16-year-old country singer either retired from the competition or was asked to leave the competition when an old Snapchat video surfaced online showing a young Kennedy sitting next to someone wearing what appears to be a KKK hood. (Kennedy would be 12 by the time the three-second clip was shot.)
Luke Bryan also added his take on the scandal, saying, “You know we love these kids, we love every aspect of their growth and all that, but it’s definitely devastating news when we hear about it. . But as we said, our thoughts will accompany him as he grows as an artist. “
During Sunday night’s episode (May 16), Kennedy’s other finalists – Casey Bishop, Grace Kinstler, Willie Spence and Chayce Beckham – all performed songs by none other than Finneas and were personally mentored by the producer. and Grammy-winning pop singer.
Ultimately, Bishop was left out of the competition, leaving the last three remaining singers to fight in the May 23 final.
