16-year-old Caleb Kennedy has left the American Idol competition after a video of him surfaced and made the rounds on the internet.
Kennedy, who had advanced to the Final Five of Idol, announced his departure from the show after a video showed up on Twitter of him with somebody in a KKK style hood.
You can see the clip here:
Kennedy announced his departure on Instagram.
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. I wanna say sorry to all my fans and everyone who I have let down."
Kennedy's mother told MSN the video "was taken after Caleb had watched the movie The Strangers: Prey at Night and they were imitating those characters."
She continued:
"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. He loves everyone and has friends of all races."
None of the characters in The Strangers: Prey At Night wore a KKK hood.
Also, Kennedy's video mysteriously includes the word "bow" with no explanation.
As a result of Kennedy's withdrawal from the competition, the next elimination on American Idol on this coming Sunday, May 16, will only be a single rather than a double elimination.
