Former 'American Idol' Contestant Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison
11/25/2024 11:38 AM
A former "American Idol" contestant has officially been sentenced to eight years in prison.
The hit reality singing competition, which became one of the biggest shows in the world in the early 2000s, led by Simon Cowell, Paula Adbul, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest, boasts an impressive alumni list. Kelly Clarkson won the show's inaugural season, while other music stars like Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson and others have all been contestants on the show, as well.
Unfortunately, one contestant from Season 19 of American Idol in 2021 has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Caleb Kennedy, a finalist on Season 19 of the hit show, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for killing a man in a DUI crash.
The American Idol alum pleaded guilty on Nov. 18 to driving under the influence resulting in the death of Larry Duane Parris, 54, in South Carolina in 2022. Kennedy was initially sentenced to 25 years in prison, but he got it reduced to eight years and a $15,100 fine, according to court records obtained by E! News.
E! News had more:
Kennedy is set to serve three years of his sentence on home detention and received credit for the time he has served since his 2022 arrest. He is to also be put on probation for five years, attend mental health and substance abuse counseling and undergo random drug and alcohol testing, the records show.
On Nov. 22, Kennedy's legal team said in a statement to E! News that he "again wants to express his heartfelt sympathies to the Parris family," adding, "Caleb fully accepts his responsibility for this accident and hopes for healing for everyone affected by this tragedy."
Kennedy, 20, was a minor at the time of the crash, and he had no prior record.
"This wasn't such an egregious act that you see most of the time, where people were drinking and driving then they hit somebody at night or going the wrong way down the road. This was a weird reaction from his prescription medicine and possibly THC," his lawyer said.
Our thoughts are with the victim's family.
