© Eric McCandless - ABCAmerican Idol 2021 contestant Caleb Kennedy leaves show after a video resurfaces of him sitting next to someone wearing what appears to be a Ku Klux Klan hood.
American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy has exited the show after a video resurfaced online of him sitting next to someone wearing what appeared to be a Ku Klux Klan hood.
Caleb had made it to the Top 5 of the ABC reality competition after impressing judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.
In a statement on his Instagram, the 16-year-old said: "Hey y'all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise.
© Christopher Willard - Getty ImagesAmerican Idol 2021 contestant Caleb Kennedy
"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."
Caleb's mother Anita Guy also spoke to South Carolina outlet the Spartanburg Herald Journal, saying that her son was 12 when the video was taken.
"I hate this has happened and how Caleb is being portrayed by people online," she said. "This video was taken after Caleb had watched the movie The Strangers: Prey at Night and they were imitating those characters.
"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."
This Sunday's episode of American Idol will now feature the Top 4 contestants Casey Bishop, Chayce Beckham, Grace Kinstler and Willie Spence battling it out, with one being eliminated.
American Idol airs on ABC in the US.
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