For the past two weeks, suspiciously, American Idol hasn't released a video of the performance of Platinum ticket winner Kennedy Anderson from Hollywood Week — either her duet or showstopper performance — raising suspicions that the 17-year-old from Crozet, Va. had left. a demonstration.
The Real Reason Why Kennedy Anderson Left American Idol
Now, we can confirm that that's exactly what happened—"Kennedy" Anderson has left American Idol. After a Top 24 performance of Christina Perry's "Human" at the Aulani Disney Resort in Hawaii on Monday night, host Ryan Seacrest revealed: "You'll notice there was no polling information during Kennedy's performance right now. Since we've seen these shows before. Taped in Hawaii, Kennedy (or Kennedy Anderson) has opted out of our show for personal reasons. We send her the best of luck."
Following Ryan's announcement, Kennedy posted the following on his Instagram: "For personal reasons, I am unable to continue on American Idol. This has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever made, but I know that This is necessary. I am so grateful to American Idol, the judges, producers, amazing contestants and all the fans who have supported me. I am so happy to share my voice, chase my dreams, do what I love and Thank you for feeling happy and giving me such an amazing opportunity to make lifelong friends along the way."
In addition, Fremantle Media issued the following statement: "We are disappointed to see Kennedy leave, but we are excited to witness the 20th season of this celebration, with incredible talent competing to be the next American Idol."
For her audition, Kennedy charmed judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan with her performance of Lady Gaga's "Applause". Luke said she "could be the biggest star ever," and Katy said, "She was born to be a star." The judges awarded her one of only three Platinum tickets given to her during the audition process this season.
As a result of the ticket, Kennedy did not have to perform on the first night of Hollywood Week, but the couple returned to the competition. She and Jordan Chase performed "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers. Then for Showstoppers, he sang "Talking to the Moon" by Bruno Mars, which helped him make the top 24.
Kennedy, who released her first original song in December 2020, has garnered a huge following on TikTok, where many of her videos have garnered over 150K views. And despite being followed on social media, she says winning the Platinum ticket gave her the confidence she needed.
"Everyone in my family is athletic and I'm musical," she said in her audition package. "Music is really my therapy. Whenever I'm down, whenever I feel down, music is the only thing that sticks with me, no matter what. I'm happy where I am now, And grateful for all the experiences that have led me to this point. I can't seem to find a better time in my life to audition for American Idol than right now."
Obviously, something has changed since she made this statement, but for now, we know she left the contest for "personal reasons."