![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="449" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Caleb Kennedy’s mother, Anita Guy, is receiving backlash from those who believe she is condoning her son’s behavior.
Last week, a video surfaced that showed “American Idol’s” Caleb Kennedy, 16, sitting next to a person wearing what appeared to be a KKK-style hood. The video was uploaded to Snapchat when Kennedy was 12 and prompted his swift departure from “American Idol”.
On Instagram on Thursday morning, Kennedy announced that he was leaving “Idol”, and wrote, “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. 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.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Anita Guy Speaks Out
In an interview with the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Kennedy’s mother, Anita Guy, said that there is “not a racist bone in [Caleb’s] body.”
She added, “This video was taken after Caleb had watched the movie ‘The Strangers: Prey at Night’, and they were imitating those characters. He loves everyone and has friends of all races.”
While Guy’s Instagram has recently been made private, The Sun reported that she was labeled as “racist” and “trash” in the comments section.
One person wrote on Guy’s page, per The Sun, “We gotta do the better as parents. American Idol does not condone racism, so great let him stay in that racist bubble.”
Another reportedly wrote, “No apology from you for projecting your racist values on your kid? He got botted out of a whole competition for what y’all taught him. If he was 12 when this happened, he didn’t go out in the world and learn this behavior; it came from you, his father, family, and friends. Shameful.”
Other Fans Have Come to Anita’s Defense
Still, the aforementioned comments aren’t representative of everyone on Guy’s Instagram.
According to The Sun, one person also wrote, “Dear Anita, please forgive us, America, for being SO quick to shame and punish you and your son. One decision doesn’t define you or your son and we should be the ones ashamed for judging and convicting you without understanding or full knowledge.
In his own Instagram post, Kennedy said he would be taking some time out of the limelight, and he has done just that– he has not posted to Instagram since announcing his leave from “Idol”.
Little is known about Kennedy’s parents. Throughout the show, he’s revealed that his parents divorced when he was younger. Guy has since remarried, and Kennedy’s stepfather, according to The Sun, is “very supportive of his music.”
Reflecting on that time in his life during his first audition for the show, Kennedy shared, “I kind of just lost myself, and writing songs kind of helped me find who I was again.”
The Sun reported that Kennedy’s mother is his manager, and helps him manage his music and high school life.
With Kennedy out of the picture last week, only four people competed on “Idol”— Chayce Beckham, Casey Bishop, Grace Kinstler, and Willie Spence. Bishop was voted off, meaning that now, only the top 3 remain.
The winner of “American Idol” will be crowned on Sunday, May 23, at 5 p.m. Pacific time, 8 p.m. eastern time on ABC.
READ NEXT: Caleb Kennedy: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
0 Comments