Former “American Idol” contestant Caleb Kennedy has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence resulting in death.
According to ABC 4 News and the New York Post, Kennedy drove onto a private drive where he hit a man with his car. The man died from the crash.
Kennedy was a fan favourite on “American Idol” in 2021 but after making it to the final 5, he had to leave the show when an old social media post resurfaced with Kennedy in what appears to be a white Ku Klux Klan-style pointed hood over his face.
READ MORE: ‘American Idol’ Addresses Finalist Caleb Kennedy Leaving The Show After Offensive Video Resurfaces
According to a report by the Herald-Journal in South Carolina where Kennedy lives, the singer’s family state that the video was shot when Kennedy was 12 years old.
“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!” Kennedy said in a statement at the time. “I pray that I can one day regain your trust in who I am and have your respect! Thank you for supporting me.”
READ MORE: ‘American Idol’ Contestant Caleb Kennedy Address Abrupt Exit From Show
Judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie later addressed Kennedy’s exit, saying they want the best for Kennedy.
“A lot of times, we think about it, we grow up and we make mistakes and 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,” Richie said.
