Pacitti auditioned for season 8 of American Idol in Louisville, Kentucky, in an episode which aired on January 21, 2009. She passed the audition into the Hollywood round. Pacitti's past accomplishments have stirred debate about whether American Idol contestants should be strictly amateur performers.
On the February 11 Idol broadcast, she was shown advancing into the top 36. That night Fox TV issued a statement that Pacitti was removed from the contest as "ineligible to continue." According to Star magazine, the reasoning behind this was that Pacitti has "very personal connections" to Michelle Young and Roger Widynowski, two executives that work in American Idol's 19 Entertainment Los Angeles office.
In addition to living in the same apartment complex as the 19 Entertainment executives for several years, Pacitti has also allegedly called Young her "manager" and "best friend" and credited Widynowski -- a former RCA Records publicist -- with "helping me get where I am today."[citation needed] She was replaced on the program by Felicia Barton.
On the February 11 Idol broadcast, she was shown advancing into the top 36. That night Fox TV issued a statement that Pacitti was removed from the contest as "ineligible to continue." According to Star magazine, the reasoning behind this was that Pacitti has "very personal connections" to Michelle Young and Roger Widynowski, two executives that work in American Idol's 19 Entertainment Los Angeles office.
In addition to living in the same apartment complex as the 19 Entertainment executives for several years, Pacitti has also allegedly called Young her "manager" and "best friend" and credited Widynowski -- a former RCA Records publicist -- with "helping me get where I am today."[citation needed] She was replaced on the program by Felicia Barton.
