Did you watch American Idol this week? Did you tear up when contestant Matt Farmer said that he suffered a brain injury while serving in Iraq? Well, you can wipe away those tears now because it turns out that Farmer’s story was a lie.
During his audition, Farmer claimed that he had been struck by an IED explosion in Iraq. Farmer did serve overseas but he was never injured by an IED.
The American Idol contestant told GuardiansofValor.com.
“It was all lies … I am extremely remorseful and very upset that I allowed myself to take from the hard work of the guys that I was deployed with among others. To think that I would go on a national TV show and get away with continuing a lie so big, and so deeply imbedded in my life and brain… is ridiculous. To everyone but more importantly the men I served with, I am deeply regretful and sorry. My road to figuring out how to make a life built on trust starts now. It starts with getting help. And starts with this message.”
Seattle PI reports that Farmer initially blamed the show’s producers for mixing up his words but in the end, the military veteran decided that it was best to come clean.
Here’s a video of Farmer’s audition.
Farmer said:
“Again I apologize to everyone that I have come across and hurt or lied too. I at no time was a sniper, was never deployed to Afghanistan, did a single tour in Iraq, and was never at any time hit or wounded by an IED.”
The judges on American Idol sent Farmer on to the next round but Farmer said that he would no longer be singing on American Idol.