American Idol judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie are staying in the news cycle ahead of next week’s finale by sounding off on the abrupt departure of fan favorite Caleb Kennedy.
It’s been “a very, very challenging and upsetting week,” Bryan said, since the 16 year-old finalist popped up in a years-old Snapchat post next to someone dressed as a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
“First and foremost, as judges, we love these kids,” he told People. “We get emotionally involved in these kids. We want the best for Caleb. As far as the nuances on how ABC gets viewed, either way, decisions got made and it’s our job as judges to show up and do our best job and comment on the kids who are in front of us. But we wish nothing but the best for Caleb.”
Kennedy was the only country contestant to make this season’s top five.
‘Idol’ fans were stunned last week when YouTube comedian Def Noodles posted an altered version the photo, which was reportedly taken when the singer was 12.
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“A lot of times, we think about it, we grow up and we make mistakes,” Richie told the magazine.
“We look at our life behind us many times and we say, ‘God, what was I thinking about when I did that?’ This was one of those situations where we kind of give him a big hug from the three of us (judges).”
The top 3 remaining contestants — Chayce Beckham, Willie Spence and Grace Kinstler — will compete in the season 19 live finale Sunday night on ABC.
THIS SHOULD’VE STAYED IN YOUR DRAFTS: American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy allegedly seen in a resurfaced with someone wearing a KKK hood. Caleb is allegedly blocking anyone who mentions the video, according to multiple reports. pic.twitter.com/9OKHmvOCEB
— Def Noodles (@defnoodles) May 12, 2021
