Nine hours after TSG reported on the pending criminal charges faced by "American Idol" finalist Corey Clark, the 22-year-old singer was removed from the hit program by Fox Television and the show's producer, 19 Entertainment. Below you'll find the press statement announcing Clark's sudden demise.
STATEMENT REGARDING COREY CLARK AND AMERICAN IDOL
MARCH 31, 2003
Due to events that have recently come to light, American Idol participant Corey Clark has been removed from the contest.
All participants are required to provide full and accurate information to assist in background checks, including disclosure of any prior arrests. Corey withheld information about a prior arrest which, had it been known, might have affected his participation in the show. Due to his failure to disclose, compounded by an error in a police report which misspelled Corey's name, the incident was not discovered during the background check. The producers and network feel that Corey's behavior warrants his disqualification.
Unfortunately, the search process is not perfect. We regret the error, but the only thing we can do is learn from the incident, continue to improve the background check process, and move on.
At this time, no decision has been made as to how this will impact this week's shows.
