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TV ClubHouse: Archive: American Idol (FOX): Disqualified - Frenchie out - ?? in: Archive through February 13, 2003

Ryn

Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 07:34 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2003-02-11-idol_x.htm

'Idol' contestant booted for working for adult Web site

By Gary Levin, USA TODAY

Frenchie Davis, the full-figured brassy-voiced American Idol semifinalist from Washington, D.C., has been eliminated from Fox's talent competition after she acknowledged she worked for an adult Web site four years ago.


Frenchie Davis will be replaced on a show airing Feb. 25.


Fox said she'll be replaced on a show airing Feb. 25. But co-producer 19 Entertainment, which signs Idol winners to recording contracts, says it will "endeavor to do all in its power to help Frenchie further her music career."

Another Idol finalist, Jaered Andrews, was replaced earlier for undisclosed reasons.

Jbean

Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 07:45 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
dang, that really sucks. i was rootin' for her. i wanted to hear her belt 'em out! :(

Wcv63

Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 08:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Why couldn't it have been someone nobody was looking forward to?

Seamonkey

Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 10:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Really.. it must be something ironclad in their contract, or they'd let her continue :(

Jhezzie

Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 10:27 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Nooooo!!!! She is so talented! They must have added some kind of "morals" clause after last year. Wasn't one of the finalists a stripper or something?

Car54

Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 11:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
This is 3 in a row...who is doing the screening for these shows....Brian from Survivor, Sarah from Joe Millionaire, now Frenchie...

I bet she was doing phone sex for pay.

Bracken

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 05:18 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Ryn - You are amazing in finding this information so quickly.

I, too, think it is unfortunate that Frenchie was disqualified. It is also ridiculous of these contestants to think that their backgrounds will not be revealed as they progress. While I agree with the "morals clause" inserted by the producers, it also provides free publicity when booting contestants. For the contestant, it is probably worth the risk of being found out if they do have talent such as Frenchie. Considering the types of illegal activities that many musicians and professional atheletes are engaged in, the adult entertainment industry is relatively harmless in comparison. Now I'm curious about why Jaered was excluded, lol.

Pamy

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 08:24 am EditMoveDeleteIP
That sucks! It was FOUR yrs ago!! I could see if she was still doing it. I am glad they said they would help her with her career, I think they know she would have a great singing career, along with the fact that she seemed to have a great personality

Grooch

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 11:06 am EditMoveDeleteIP
From the Smoking Gun. :(

Frenchie Davis, the 23-year-old singer canned by Fox, was a fan favorite and had been tabbed last week by Entertainment Weekly as one of the program's leading six contenders. According to a TSG source, Davis posed topless (and appeared to be masturbating) on "Daddy's Little Girls," a web site that purported to feature naked underage girls (which, of course, would be illegal). However, at the time she posed for these photos, Davis was over 18. The Washington, D.C. native has claimed that she took the topless gig to earn money so that she could re-enroll in Howard University, where she is a theater major. In a recent interview, when asked about the proudest moment of her life, Davis said, "Other than getting back in school after not having the money and not being there for a year," American Idol "has been the proudest moment 'cause I worked so hard."

All traces of Davis's involvement in "American Idol" have been stripped from Fox's web site, a banishment nearly as abrupt as the ones delivered by judge Simon Cowell. The network's decision to can Davis has been blasted by followers of the show who have been flooding fan sites with complaints. A typical beef--posted in an online petition calling for Davis's reinstatement--stated, "American Idol will no longer hold my interest if Frenchie Davis is gone. She was the voice and talent. Every other contestant is extremely(!) bland, boring and not the least bit intriguing. Give America what they want and bring Frenchie Davis back!"

With her brassy voice and large frame, Davis has drawn comparisons to Aretha Franklin. In describing Davis and fellow contestant Kimberley Locke, Entertainment Weekly wrote, "From the second these two bodacious beauties strutted their stuff on stage, all those navel-baring lightweights should have headed home."

Grooch

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 12:56 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Here's an online petition to get Frenchie back! Over 3,000 signitures so far.

Frenchie

Curious1

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 01:00 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I really liked frenchie, I was totally rooting for her BUT don't get me wrong IF she really posed for THAT type of web-site I think the producers were right in removing her. I am very sensitive when it comes to 'child pornography' so I know I might be overreacting here but voluntarily posing for a site such as the one named just helps to keep that site going and I think that is wrong. IMHO any involvement with a site like that, whether it's to earn money or not should be avoided by everyone completely! That being said, surely Frenchie has done no worse than alot of other people in the industry, but we the public are picking OUR IDOL and not just someone who can sing great. Ok, that's my two cents I'll shut up now!

Crazydog

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 01:05 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm sad, I was looking forward to hearing her sing. She is the true American Idol, no one else in that competition came close. I don't think I'm as keen to watch anymore.

Was it this boring last year? I didn't start watching until the week Ryan Starr was cut. Are the early rounds this bad? No one seems to be bringing the electricity like Kelly and Tamyra did last year. The only one who did for me was Frenchie, and now she's gone.

Hermione69

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 01:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I have to agree with Curious1. Even if she was reinstated, I would never vote for her after this. That is not my definition of an Idol. "Daddy's Little Girls"? That is sick. There are a lot of people who put themselves through college without resorting to gigs like that. My mom came from a poor farming family in rural Virginia and paid her own way through college by waiting tables.

Hermione69

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 02:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I forgot to add, as Curious1 said, IF it is true. Right now they still only have an article. No pictures. It sure sounds fishy, though. American Idol has even removed all traces of her from their web site. She has been totally obliterated. Someone is pretty positive it is her. IF it is her, all I can say is I would rather it came out now than later. Can you imagine if she won and this came out?

Even if she was legal age as she claimed and only pretending to be under 18, voluntarily doing anything that helps keep sites like that going is awful and inexcusable. Last week's Law and Order: SVU was about a child porn ring, including a little girl that WAS being exploited by her father, and it was so upsetting that I had bad dreams that night.

Grooch

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 02:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
She might not have originally posed for the site in queston that used her pictures as "kiddie" porn.

Hermione69

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 02:46 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
That's true. I hope she didn't. She is still no longer "Idol" material to me, however and I am very disappointed because I wanted her to kick butt.

Cba79

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 02:55 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I am trying to find the link to something someone sent me earlier. It led me to believe that she posed for pictures which were THEN sold to that site. In other words, she may not have known where the pics would be posted.

This is bad for everyone involved. I will not condone her actions (if true) but she has so much talent and was my favorite.

Hotlantan

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 04:53 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
In fairness to Frenchie - Nigel Lythgoe, Executive Producer of AI was on Entertainment Tonight and admitted on air that Frenchie had fully disclosed she posed BEFORE she signed her contracts. Apparently, the producers took this long to complete the background checks and just now decided that it was too much of a risk in the event Frenchie won and some pornographer decides to blackmail the show and Frenchie and try to connect the four year old photos to American Idol.

Webkitty

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 05:15 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I seem to be the only one who didn't think she was all that great to begin with. I think Kelly Clarkson and Tamyra could sing just as well, even better than Frenchie.

There are many, many young people out there that get no breaks in life. They have to struggle for everything, and most don't resort to porn to get by.

The rep from AI also said on ET tonight that they will help her with her singing career. I think that's very generious under the circumstances.
American Idol is holding itself up as a wholesome image, there is nothing wrong with that in this day and age. Many young teens watch this show with hopes and dreams of their own, I think its ok to let them know that if they want to go this route, they need to think before they make certain choices in life.

Car54

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 05:19 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I wish her well. I have done a lot of amazingly stupid things in my life and very luckily have been granted a number of chances to work hard and start over. She is a talented girl.

I hope she does really well in her career.

Djgirl5235

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 04:36 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I actually think that this could be a blessing for Frenchie... I absolutely LOVE Kelly Clarkson, but felt bad once I heard what she was going to have to sing as part of her contract as the AI. This may be a blessing in disguise for Frenchie as she'll be able to sing what SHE wants in the style that SHE wants with the aid of the recording company...

I would not be able to vote for her however if she were reinstated in the competition - I too have many issues with child-pornography. I worked 3 jobs while I was in school to put myself through, and none of them were topless... I waitressed, I worked in a snack bar on campus, and I tutored... I did not have to resort to stripping down and playing with myself for pictures... I was so rooting for her, but this just killed it.

Hotlantan

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 04:42 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Fans' 'Idol' Threats: Fox Takes Heat for Booting Frenchie

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A300-2003Feb12.html

It's okay for a contestant on Fox's "American Idol" to have worked as a stripper, as had Nikki McKibbin, who made it to the final three on the reality series's first edition. And it's peachy if a contestant on the network's "Joe Millionaire" has dressed up as a high school cheerleader in bondage and fetish flicks -- like finalist Sarah Kozer.

But it is absolutely unacceptable for a contestant on the current edition of "American Idol" to have appeared on a porn site four years ago. Ask Frenchie Davis, who got booted off the show for just that.

19 Entertainment, the company that produces the show and signs top finalists to recording contracts, and Fox abruptly pulled Davis from the show Tuesday night because she had appeared on a porn site that caters to male fantasies about young girls. Davis, a 23-year-old Howard University student, was older than 18 when she took the porn gig.

No trace of her remains on the "American Idol" Web site, which now lists only 31 contestants. A new 32nd contestant will be announced soon, a network rep said.

Fox and 19 Entertainment had known for weeks about Davis's porn site work. That's because she volunteered the information in filling out paperwork required to participate on the show.

"She was upfront and honest about it," one source said.

After having this information all this time, Fox and 19 made the decision to disqualify her because, the source explains, it took that long to discuss the situation with all parties involved.

That kind of talk is often another way of saying an advertiser blew a fuse.

According to a source, the parties determined that it's one thing to perform in a strip club and another to pose on a Web site geared toward male fantasies about underage girls. So if you are thinking you might want to be a contestant on a Fox reality TV show in the future, confine your extracurricular activities to stripping or appearing on adult Web sites that cater to male fantasies about of-age women. (Apparently Kozer was portraying a very mature cheerleader in bondage.) This is good information to know.

According to the CourtTV Web site The Smoking Gun, Davis said she took the topless job to earn money so she could re-enroll at Howard, where she is a theater arts major. On the "American Idol" Web site -- before she was disappeared -- Davis said that one of her proudest moments in life was "getting back in school after not having the money and not being there for a year."

Our various efforts to reach Davis yesterday were unsuccessful. And the person who answered the telephone number for the theater department at the school said Davis "was not going to be here for a while." When asked why that was if school was in session, the person replied, "I can't give any information out on Frenchie Davis."

19 Entertainment, hoping to appease "American Idol" fans, issued a statement saying that it will "endeavor to do all in its power to help Frenchie further her music career."

Sorry, guys. Not good enough.

"Can you hear that 'American Idol' nazis?" ranted one of the more than 9,000 people who had signed the Bring Back Frenchie petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/frenchie/petition.html by late yesterday. "It's the sound of thousands of TV dials being turned away from Fox when the next 'American Idol' airs!"

Among the many other harsh comments:

• "Unbelievable -- Fox grows a moral compass? Please!"

• "Reconsider this. It's really going to be bad publicity if you keep her disqualified."

• "Are you crazy? Britney, Madonna -- being an American Idol means being a Sexual Idol. Get over yourselves."

• "The same people who brought us 'Temptation Island' and 'Bridezilla' are suddenly so sanctimonious."

• "Is being in porn previously any worse than looking like a porn star after the record execs get hold of a new talent?"

• "An embarrassing move for the Fox network, home of trash TV and questionable morals. You must honor the hype: 'Let America Decide' or simply call it 'Fox Idol' and let your execs, senior staff and producers make the decisions in-house. The winner can sing at the Fox X-mas party."

And, our personal favorite:

• "Fox is garbage. I will not watch 'American Idol' or Fox unless Frenchie is brought back. This is saying a lot; I am Amish."

Hermione69

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 05:47 am EditMoveDeleteIP
What a slanted article. What about those who do agree with the decision?

Spygirl

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 06:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Funny article :)

Wilsonatmd

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 06:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
A lot of people have been complaining about the similarities in the situations and the different responses between Frenchie, Nikki from AI1, and Sarah from Joe Millionaire.

Joe Millionaire and AI are 2 different shows, with two different target audiences. Joe Millionare is aimed at the adult females, AI is aimed at teenagers. The Joe Millionaire people could explain it away better about Sarah to the audience, since she was always fully clothed in her movies and pics. The audience would accept this, because of the age factor (the audience being adults)

The big difference between Nikki and Frenchie was that there are photos out. Nikki might have stripped, but there were no videos or photos of any of her performances, so there was some breathing room there. I suspect if pictures had been made, and had come out, she probably would have been DQ'd.

In Frenchie's case, some person with the material could steal the AI logo or alter it slightly, and promote the pics in a way that seemed like the show was promoting the pics (maybe even fooling teens to order a subscription to an adult website that they don't know is one until it's too late...and most of those site haves recurring memberships, where the credit card is automatically charged every month unless you cancel it, which can be a chore)....and they couldn't have that. The sponsors couldn't have that either, as it would be guilt by association (even though they would have nothing to do with it), and they probably were the ones who pressured the producers to DQ her. And the show has a right to, they have morals clauses they could invoke.....not saying it was right, but at least they said they would try to help her some, which they don't have to do.

Main thing is, since AI is watched mainly by teens, they have to have a slighly higher standard, or the parents of the teens won't let them watch the show, and there's no show. The breaker was the pictures....If Frenchie had done what Nikki had done and just stripped and there were no pictures, I think she would still be in the game.