Several weeks before the American Idol 2014 finale, future winner Caleb Johnson found himself in hot water with many fans after using the word “retards” to describe his online critics. He then went on to diss his fans by saying that didn’t “need 10,000 people telling me you should sing this, you should sing that, listen to me, listen to me. Fortunately guys, I’m going to listen to myself, whether you like it or not.”
Caleb went on to issue several apologies, including one on camera, pretty much saying that he had made a stupid mistake and he was sorry. He also clarified that he never meant to insult his fans, but was frustrated with the haters harassing him via social media.
In an interview right before the final American Idol results were announced, Caleb Johnson told Hollyscoop the scandal over calling his online critics “retards” would not tarnish his American Idol win if he came out on top.
“No, you know, this whole experience is about… you’re learning and you’re growing. And it’s just such a humbling and amazing experience.”
Caleb’s hardcore fans have defended their choice for American Idol winner by saying that everyone makes mistakes. We certainly don’t think Caleb meant to offend with his controversial remarks about his critics or his fans. If anything, we think Caleb has certainly learned from this experience that some things are just not okay to say, no matter who you are. He’s just very lucky that he didn’t end up sinking his own ship and losing American Idol over his thoughtless words.