Biggest 'American Idol' Scandals and Controversies Through the Years
A golden ticket doesn’t mean an easy journey! Since American Idol premiered in June 2002, the show, its judges and contestants have become the subject of numerous scandals and controversies.
Prior to the days of voting by app for your favorite contestant, fans reported an unfair voting system during season 1 of American Idol when about 100 people used auto-dialing technology to reportedly place almost 10,000 votes every night for their favorite contestant.
Because not everyone had access to the technology, some said the system gave certain Idol hopefuls (whose fans were lucky enough to be on top of their tech) an unfair advantage. Nevertheless, production company Fremantle Media told USA Today in August 2002 that the number of votes coming from the software were “statistically insignificant.”
The next season, the drama became more personal when Ruben Studdard won the competition, beating Clay Aiken by 140,000 votes out of a total 24 million. While fans complained that the crown belonged to the “Invisible” singer, both season 2 stars went on to have successful careers.
In 2021, American Idol was hit with a number of controversies during season 19 when two contestants dropped out of the show. The first was Wyatt Pike, who made it to the top 12 before suddenly disappearing.
“Before we get to the results, I have to tell you that finalist Wyatt Pike will not be competing in the competition,” Ryan Seacrest said at the beginning of an April 2021 episode. “He had to drop out, but we wish him the very best.”
At the time, the contestant’s rep told Us Weekly, “Wyatt could not continue due to personal reasons.”
Later that month, a TikTok rumor went around alleging that the Utah native had gotten into a fight with judge Luke Bryan. Fans speculated that the country star — who had missed an episode of the show after contracting coronavirus — wasn’t sick after all.
The “Play It Again” singer’s wife, Caroline Boyer, took to social media to debunk the claims.
“Trust me, he has covid,” she wrote at the time, according to a screenshot. “I kinda wish there was a fight. I’m sick of taking care of kids alone and sanitizing. I’m peeing Lysol!!!”
Scroll down to see more of the biggest American Idol controversies through the years:
Season 9 semifinalist Joanna Pacitti was disqualified from the show in February 2009 after her history in the music business was revealed. The singer had a record deal and previously joined Nick Lachey on tour as his opening act prior to competing on the reality series. "It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition," Fox said in a statement to Billboard at the time. Shutterstock
Pike, who was 20 years old when he was on the show, left American Idol abruptly in April 2021 after making it to the top 12 of the series and receiving rave reviews from judges. “I had to leave the @AmericanIdol competition for personal reasons but am so thankful I get to play music for the rest of my life,” he wrote via Instagram following his departure. “Fellow contestants - miss you all, good luck! Thank you to everyone for your support… do stick around for more musical things soon! đź’™.” ABC/Eric McCandless
Following Pike’s departure, fellow season 19 contestant Caleb Kennedy left the competition after making it to the top five. His leave was prompted by a video resurfacing in which he was seated next to someone who appeared to be wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit. “Hey y’all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise but I am no longer gonna be on American Idol,” Kennedy wrote via Instagram in May 2021. “There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way. 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.” ABC/Eric McCandless
During an April 2008 episode of the competition’s seventh season, Paula Abdul angered fans by judging a song that contestant Jason Castro hadn’t yet sung. The “Straight Up” singer later set the story straight, claiming during an appearance on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show that she was able to offer feedback on the song because she’d heard “the last minute” of it in dress rehearsal. Shutterstock
Years after the “Home” singer won season 12 of American Idol, he found himself in a legal battle with the show’s production company, 19 Entertainment, in January 2015 after claiming they “manipulated” him into accepting gigs that benefited them more than his career. The case was settled in June 2017. Shutterstock
One of American Idol's sponsors, AT&T, admitted they’d unfairly given out free phones and texting services to fans of Kris Allen at parties hosted during the show’s season 8 final voting rounds. While Allen did end up winning over Adam Lambert, the company denied they’d attempted to fix the contest. Fox also noted the competition’s results were "fair, accurate and verified” in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter in May 2009. Shutterstock
After a video showing the A-list judges fighting backstage surfaced in October 2012, Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey decided to put the controversy behind them. "The whole thing is convoluted. It's a distraction from the show and a distraction from the contestants,” the “Fantasy” singer said during a January 2013 press tour. Minaj added, "Every time we try to talk about the contestants, we have to field questions about [this].” Todd Williamson/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Throughout almost every season of American Idol, a scandal of some sort has occurred due to a contestant being voted off the show. During season 3, fans complained the phone lines were too overwhelmed for them to be able to cast their vote. Two years later, more complaints came in after fans claimed votes for Chris Daughtry were rerouted to count for Katharine McPhee. Shutterstock
During the May 2021 season 19 finale, Arthur Gunn didn’t show up for his scheduled duet with Sheryl Crow. The following day, he addressed his absence in an Instagram post. “What happened is not much to discuss at this point. It was last minute decision but I couldn’t help but say no cause of some personal morals and values due to unpleasant environmental experiences,” the Nepal native wrote. While he stayed vague about what exactly his “unpleasant” experiences were, he alluded to an issue with someone (or multiple people) connected with the show: “It’s not the show @americanidol to blame, they were there long before nor anyone related to show. … I feel upset about it as much as all you might have, and I’m sorry if I did let down anyone but I felt like all these confrontations didn’t need to happen at the show, so I just had to move on from there, sometimes all we can do is move on!!!” ABC/Eric McCandless
The season 17 winner was issued an arrest warrant by the Louisiana State University Police Department in April 2022, telling fans in a statement that he was "fully cooperative" with the investigation. "I understand that my career has thrust me into the public spotlight, and I embrace that wholeheartedly as my entire world belongs to my music and my fans. However, due to the sensitive nature of this allegation, I humbly ask for privacy at this time," he added at the time, not specifying the reason for his arrest. "I have the utmost respect for the law and will assist in their investigation as needed moving forward." A spokesperson for LSU later noted in a statement to Us: "Lane Reed Hardy (Non-LSU student) was arrested by LSU Police today and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison for violation of 15:1303 — Interception and Disclosure of Wire, Electronic, or Oral Communication. His arrest warrant has been filed with clerk of court." imageSPACE/Shutterstock
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