Here's Why Caleb Kennedy Left 'American Idol' So Abruptly, Plus Details on That Controversial Video

American Idol fans who don’t keep up with pop culture news are going to be in for a shock when they find out that Caleb Kennedy was cut from the show ahead of the Top 5 round.

The 16-year-old singer from South Carolina either dropped out of the competition, or was eliminated by producers, after a controversial video of him surfaced on the internet.

The news was announced a few days ago and it will seemingly be addressed during tonight’s episode. Instead of a Top 5, we’re now down to the Top 4.

Click inside to learn about the video and read Caleb’s statement…

The video showed what appeared to be a Snapchat recording of Caleb sitting next to someone in a Ku Klux Klan-style white hood. “oh my,” the video was simply captioned. According to multiple reports on social media, Caleb was allegedly blocking anyone who mentioned the video as well. His family has stated that he was just 12 when the video was taken.

Hours after the video went viral on the internet, Caleb released a statement saying that he had left the show.

“Hey y’all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise, but I am no longer gonna be on American Idol. There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way,” Caleb shared in a statement on Instagram.

He continued, “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 is not the first contestant to leave the competition this season. Wyatt Pike left the show earlier this season, although his reasons are still a mystery.