‘American Idol’ Contestant Jermaine Jones Booted Over Criminal Charges
American Idol contestant Jermaine Jones will be kicked off the show tonight after producers learned that the singer lied about his criminal history. The singer confirmed his exit last night in a Twitter post, though his account was deleted within a few hours.
According to TMZ, Jones was arrested twice last year and has outstanding warrants, and one of the incidents involved violence, which was especially troubling to Idol producers. Jones apparently used fake names both times he was arrested.
It also appears that Jones lied about his relationship with his father. Though he told producers that his father abandoned him 10 years ago, his father has told TMZ that they see each other regularly. Suspicions about this issue led Idol producers to more closely investigate Jones’ background, which led to the discovery of his arrests last year.
This isn’t the first time an Idol contestant was dismissed over past criminal charges. In season two, the show dismissed semifinalist Jared Andrews on assault charges and finalist Corey Clark over pending battery charges. Another contestant, Frenchie Davis, was kicked off the show when sexual photos of the singer turned up online.