What this all means for American Idol long-term is unclear.
And while this past season has been a particularly rough one in terms of issues for contestants, controversy with past Idol contestants isn’t exactly a new thing.
The ABC series was recently renewed for Season 20, so it’s not as though the series itself has to answer for any of the controversies.
In regard to the show, Doug Kiker’s arrest means he likely will not be invited back to the series in the future, which may disappoint those who rooted for his success back in Season 18.