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Caleb Kennedy, who competed on American Idol in 2021, has been sentenced to eight years in prison and a $15,100 fine.
He pleaded guilty to driving under the influence resulting in death on Monday, November 18, per local WSPA 7News.
The 20-year-old country singer will serve three of those eight years in home detention. He has also been ordered to serve five years of probation, and must undergo random drug testing along with mental health and substance abuse counseling.
Kennedy, who was 17 at the time of arrest, will receive credit for time served since the crash and his initial arrest.
The former American Idol contestant was arrested in February 2022, following a fatal car accident in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Highway patrol reported that the musician had driven his pickup truck onto a private driveway, where he struck 54-year-old Larry Duane Parris, pinning him against a building. Parris was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Toxicology reports showed that Kennedy had Prozac as well as marijuana in his system at the time of the accident. He told deputies after the crash that he had taken a "deep draw" from a weed vape and had been feeling the effects of that while driving.
He had initially been sentenced to 25 years in prison and a $25,100 fine, but the judge reduced the sentence and fine.
Kennedy competed on the 19th season of American Idol in 2021, and was voted into the top five. However, he had to leave the show after a SnapChat video resurfaced that showed the contestant sitting next to a person who appeared to be wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood.
At the time, Kennedy took to his Instagram to share a statement about the video. "There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way," the since-deleted post read.
It 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."
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