Chris Golightly, an American Idol contestant who wowed the judges in Los Angeles before stealing a spot in the semifinals, has been disqualified.
“It has been determined that Chris Golightly is ineligible to continue in the competition. ‘American Idol’ contestant Tim Urban has replaced Golightly as part of the Top 24,” FOX said in a statement Thursday.
The ousted contestant spoke to Idol fan site JoesPlaceBlog.com on Wednesday night, where he explained his disqualification and reflected on what the future holds for him now. Chris said he thought his contract with a previous boy band expired in June 2009, right before his audition in July, but last week, Golightly received a phone call from the person who held the previous contract informing, him that he was still under agreement.
Chris — who refers to himself as “The Orphan” — has been unable to find his copy of the contract to disprove this until he’d already been disqualified. Golightly won the hearts of many Idol viewers, who were moved by his turbulent past as a foster child growing up in California. Chris lived with more than 25 families as a kid. After making the Top 24, Golightly broke the lease on his apartment to continue in the competition and sold his car to pay off the lease.
