American Idol finalist Colin Stough accused of disgusting and unacceptable past behavior

AMERICAN Idol finalist Colin Stough has been called out for "disgusting" past behavior by the show's fans, The U.S. Sun can report.

Colin, 18, secured his spot in American Idol's Top 10 after Sunday night's elimination, which featured two contestants being sent home.

The country singer is joined by Wé Ani, Marybeth Byrd, Megan Danielle, Haven Madison, Warren Peay, Zachariah Smith, Oliver Steele, Iam Tongi and Tyson Venegas in the show's final weeks.

Over the weekend, sleuthing fans uncovered past social media posts on Colin's Instagram and Facebook that made them question his character.

In June 2021, Colin shared a meme comparing an African American man with sagging pants with the Confederate War Memorial statue that was erected in 1906 in Covington, Georgia.

The caption read: "How does a statue being in the same place for 100 years suddenly become offensive and men walking around in public with there [sic] a** showing not offensive? Are people really this ignorant?"

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Colin posted a story titled: "Donald Trump says flying the Confederate flag is 'freedom of speech.'"

By sharing the post, fans claimed the American Idol star appeared to "support" the Confederate flag, which many US citizens consider to be a racist symbol.

Finally, in December 2018, Colin failed to react negatively when a friend used a racial slur in a comment on a video he posted on Instagram.

The U.S. Sun has reached out to Colin and ABC for comment.

Colin has since responded, informing The U.S. Sun that he has taken down the posts at the time this article went live.

FACING BACKLASH

The Mississippi native's past is being compared to former contestant Caleb Kennedy, who exited Season 19 after a racially insensitive video surfaced online.

A Snapchat video showed him sitting next to a person appearing to wear a KKK hoodie.

In the Reddit thread discussing Colin's post, a critic titled the thread, "Does American Idol have another Caleb Kennedy on their hands?"

While some users claimed the posts "weren't that shocking" and insisted "he's done nothing to be punished for," others were taken aback.

"Yikes," multiple people commented.

One user said: "The other two [posts] are disappointing.

"He's young so let's hope he outgrows this and quickly. And not just for TV."

His posts have persuaded some show fans not to vote for him anymore.

A viewer wrote: "Not trying to cancel him, let people decide for themselves but I had voted for him up to this point but will not be moving forward."

Another commented: "I don't care about his politics- I won't vote for him."

DISQUALIFIED?

On Idol Forums, fans are getting into a heated debate on whether or not the singer should be disqualified for his past posts.

One critic believed: "Should it be acceptable? No.

"However, there are people who don't think this is a big deal, acceptable, etc. I don't think he will be disqualified from the competition."

A second responded: "Oh 100%. Agreed it's disgusting and should be something to hold him accountable.

"I'm just [not] sure if the show will do anything about it."

A third shared: "Tbh that stuff does seem very bad.

"I think idol might disqualify or publicly encourage him to quit."

Finally, a fourth chimed in: "Yeah as much as I would love to see him be disqualified I don't [think] this is extreme enough.

"I'm sure he has said/done much worse than this, it's likely just not publicly available."

LIFE CHANGING

Colin, a small-town boy, comes from Gattman, Mississippi, where he works as an HVAC technician and lives with his mom, who signed him up for the reality competition show.

"You hang out, you ride horses, make friends and go to work. That's about it," he went on about his hometown.

"This competition, man, it can change my life. The main thing - the reason why I want to be in it - is because ain't really nothing come from around here. I want to change that."

In his audition video, he also revealed his heartbreaking past about his birth father.

"He chose alcohol and drugs instead of me and mom, and man, that just killed the family," Colin admitted.

Back in February, he wooed the judges when he initially stepped out on stage during the Season 21 premiere.

Katy Perry stated: "Colin, you got the magic in you 100 percent. And you got the stardust."

Meanwhile, Luke Bryan called his performance of Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd "raw, real and humble."

After making his way to the Top 10, he's been a stand-out from the other competitors, even being compared to actor Brad Pitt.

"He really sealed his deal...I think he literally turned his life around," Katy said during a group interview.

"He's the Brad Pitt of country music. He's got the taste and the song choice and the vocal ability--he really showcased it tonight."

American Idol airs every Sunday and Monday at 8.00pm ET on ABC.

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