"American Idol" contestant Caleb Kennedy was considered to be a front-runner before he abruptly left the show last week due to a the unearthing of a controversial social media post. Now, judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan are weighing in on the 16-year-old's sudden departure.
Of Kennedy's situation, Richie told People, "A lot of times ... 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."
"He has definitely has a talent," Richie added. "The problem is, this is one of those unfortunate decisions that had to be made, and we move on. But this will be remembered in his lifetime and he'll know what it's all about."
Bryan, meanwhile, said that "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," he added.
As previously reported, an old Snapchat video showed Kennedy seated beside someone wearing what appears to be a Ku Klux Klan-style hood. Kennedy was 12 at the time of the video, according to his family.
Kennedy's mother told South Carolina's Herald-Journal that the friend was dressed up as a character from the film "The Strangers: Prey at Night," not the KKK. In a statement shared to Instagram, Kennedy said the video "displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way."
He added, "I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that's not an excuse."
