American Idol is rigged, claims former contestant

Ever since its debut in 2002 numerous people have claimed American Idol is fixed. But none has done it with quite the frankness of former Season 8 hopeful, Ju’Not Joyner. In a new online chat the ex-Idol contestant has made allegations of bias that have many people concerned.

Despite being labeled ‘a troublemaker’ by those in charge of the show, the 26-year old singer is quite clear on his views, “It’s a fixed thing if I ever saw one,” he said boldly. Ju’Not then took shots at the contracts that AI contestants are ordered to sign, re-dubbing them ‘slave-tracts,’ and he is eager to set the fans straight on the truth of the show, “Because Idol ain’t all it’s cracked up to be,” he says “It’s certainly not the fairytale most think it is.”

Ju’not [it's French - he pronounces it 'You know'] told fans in the chat that he was dropped from the show because he refused to sign all the self-serving contracts. “They pay for our lawyers to negotiate against their lawyer. Craziest stuff I’ve ever seen! Folks were like, ‘Just shut up and sign.’ But I know better than that.”

Remembered for his captivating performance of “Hey There, Delilah,” Ju’Not is quite certain his reluctance to sign was why he was dropped, “I definitely believe that.” he says. “They didn’t like that I wouldn’t sign just anything, and that the other contestants were  all asking me questions. I think they ousted me the first chance they got!”

According to Yahoo, the Baltimore native also feels the Idol producers were upset he wouldn’t let them exploit the story of his under-privileged childhood in lower-rent housing, “They wanted me to put that out there to the world for more ratings. I wouldn’t do it.”

Ju’Not also maintains that Kris Allen won the last season because that’s who the producers had wanted – Not all the fans. “They know who they want and they fix it in a way that makes you surprised – but it’s still manipulated,” he opined. “People think Idol’s a talent show, but it’s a reality show done with writers. Do you really think a billion-dollar enterprise is going to be left to the whim of the public??”

Is he a speaker of truth, or just a sad opportunist, trying to secure a sixteenth minute of fame to help boost the sales of the album he’s self-releasing this year? Ju’Not’s not saying. And if what he’s claiming is true, how come his peers are not joining in? “No one else is complaining because a lot of them don’t understand how this works,” he told the chat’s readers. “They’ve never had deals or seen a contract. I have. But I have nothing against the other Idols, they’re not to blame.”