Jermaine Jones gave an interview to “Showbiz Tonight” and explained he was completely caught off guard by American Idol production’s decision to eliminate him from the Season 11 competition. Jones discussed what he expected at the sit down with Nigel and Ken and how he felt about it being shown to the Idol audience.
“I thought they were bringing it to my attention,” Jones said in reference to his criminal past. “Letting me know that now they are aware of, you know, this, that and the third. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but…
Until they said it, I had no clue what was going to happen … I was shocked, but I can’t really express what my emotions were at that time.”
Jermaine went on to explain that he wished they hadn’t shown the meeting, but how he was humbled by the situation and learned from the incident. Take note, future American Idol Hopefuls, don’t walk in to a room with Nigel and a flock of cameramen for a “private meeting!”
What I found most interesting in the interview was how Jermaine Jones believed he had covered all his bases. Jones explained he had confirmed he had past arrests when filling out his American Idol 2012 application. Combine that with the work he had done with lawyers to clear up what he thought to be his existing legal issues and Jones was confident he was in the clear. He was not aware of any outstanding warrants and when asked if any actually existed he replied, “Not to my knowledge. Everything that needs to be taken care of, as far as that’s concerned, my team is handling it very well.”
Whether or not you agreed with Jermaine’s expulsion from American Idol, it was certainly an unfortunate turn of events for anyone to experience, especially on an international stage. Best of luck out there.
Source: Today Show