Frenchie Davis, 23, a powerhouse singer from Washington, D.C., who has been likened to a young Aretha Franklin on FOX's "American Idol," has been axed from the show following revelations that she posed topless on a porn Web site that purports to feature underage girls.
"Frenchie Davis has been disqualified," FOX spokesman Scott Grogin tells Reuters. "Issues arose from her background check that the producers and the network felt forced them to disqualify her."
Davis, who could not immediately be reached for comment, will be replaced by an alternate on the Feb. 25 episode.
Until Tuesday's official dismissal, she had been considered a strong candidate to go the distance on the show, which promises a $1 million recording contract to its winner.
And in that race on Tuesday, judge Cowell told contestant Ruben Studdard, 24, "You are a star ... You set the standard for this competition."
Viewers agreed. Those who called in to vote chose the Birmingham, Ala., native and Kimberley Locke, 25, as the next two finalists from the second group of eight contestants.
Studdard sang the Luther Vandross arrangement of The Carpenters' "Superstar." Locke, from Nashville, sang the Judy Garland standard from "The Wizard of Oz," "Over The Rainbow."
Eight more contestants will vie next Tuesday for two more spots, while the judges and viewers each will pick one wild-card winner during the week of March 3.
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