SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Former “American Idol” contestant Caleb Kennedy has pleaded guilty to driving under the influence during a deadly 2022 crash in South Carolina.
Kennedy, who was 17 at the time of the crash, pleaded guilty Monday to driving under the influence resulting in death.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and a $25,100 fine, which was suspended to eight years and $15,100. Three of those eight years will be served in home detention. He will also receive credit for time served since the crash and his initial arrest.
Kennedy was arrested in February 2022 following a deadly crash in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Highway Patrol said Kennedy was driving his pickup truck when it traveled onto a private driveway and hit 54-year-old Larry Parris.
Parris was hit and pushed into a building during the crash. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries.
During a hearing following his arrest, the Spartanburg County Solicitor’s Office said toxicology reports revealed that Kennedy had THC – the active ingredient in marijuana – and prescribed Prozac in his system at the time of the crash.
As part of his sentence, Kennedy will also have to undergo mental health and substance abuse counseling, as well as five years of probation.
As a 16-year-old, Kennedy competed on Season 19 of the singing competition show “American Idol.” He made it to the show’s final five contestants, Deadline reported. However, a video surfaced of Kennedy sitting next to someone that appeared to be wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood, and he left the show before the season concluded.
“There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way,” he wrote on Instagram at the time.
“I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that’s not an excuse,” the post continued. “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.”
