Derrell and Terrell Brittenum of Memphis, TN have been charged with forgery, theft by deception and financial identity fraud for purchasing a 2005 Dodge Magnum last June 2005 in Atlanta using someone else’s identity.
The twins recently appeared on the most-watched show in America - American Idol. Evidently they were excellent performers and had moved on to the next round in Hollywood, CA. Unfortunately for them they’ve now been dropped from the show based on their actions.
Here’s a before photo:
And an after photo:
E!Online reports that:
“Both brothers were released from jail on bond Sunday morning and were preparing to travel to Los Angeles for the next round of eliminations when they received word that their presence was no longer welcome.
Though the twins may have blown their shot at Idol worship, they reportedly have other opportunities to consider. Bennett claims to have been contacted by “several” record labels interested in signing the brothers.”
Great! Evidently some record labels are still interested in these gentlemen. Maybe their arrests will give them additional “street cred.”
Whatever sells records, I guess…
(4 votes, average: 3.25 out of 5)
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Anonymous
February 8, 2006 @ 7:52 pm
i guess it shows once again that crime in america truly does pay off…hopefully bennett brittenum is just as full of it as he was in purchasing a car with someone else’s identity.
pathetic
Dave
February 11, 2006 @ 1:41 pm
You can tell American Idol is preparing viewers for the eventual boot of the Brittenum twins. The first Hollywood show that aired Feb 8 featured the twins running their mouth about other contestants as well as American Idols past (Carrie Underwood is just a medium talent - Bo and others were better | the cowboy kid didn’t deserve to stay, which is probably true).
Clearly American Idol wants us to dislike the twins so when they’re kicked out we’ll all cheer. So far, the twins are making that a very easy job. Based on what has come out of their mouths so far, I can’t wait ’til they’re gone!
Scott
February 15, 2006 @ 9:43 pm
I Hated these guys anyways, there so winey, there losers, plus the pickler girl is sexy , shes going to win.,
Summer
February 16, 2006 @ 2:27 am
YESSSSSSSSSs!!!! That is the BEST THING to happen to AMERICAN IDOL. GLAD THEY ARE GONE!!!!!!!!!!! They sucked b@ll$ and it is sad that two twins that actually had talent got voted off and Randy, Paula, and Simon kept the Brittenum twins instead. Goes to show you that there is justice in the world.
They were sad, pathetic, bitchy, winey, and LOSERS!!!! Obviously. hehehe
I hope that Taylor Hicks wins it all…finally some soul music!
Summer
February 16, 2006 @ 2:27 am
YESSSSSSSSSs!!!! That is the BEST THING to happen to AMERICAN IDOL. GLAD THEY ARE GONE!!!!!!!!!!! They sucked and it is sad that two twins that actually had talent got voted off and Randy, Paula, and Simon kept the Brittenum twins instead. Goes to show you that there is justice in the world.
They were sad, pathetic, bitchy, winey, and LOSERS!!!! Obviously. hehehe
I hope that Taylor Hicks wins it all…finally some soul music!
Mel Lee
February 18, 2006 @ 9:27 am
The loud mouths are gone! Had enough of their flamboyant attitude, critical comments and self-confidence swagger. A typical sore loser like them will find almost anything to get attention. Bet they will use the media to hoot their horns again.. who needs them anyway.
Mike
February 18, 2006 @ 2:58 pm
The Brittenum brothers are not the only ones on American Idol with big mouth. I don’t feel they deserve to be hated or worst still booted out like that when it was their talent that got them to the final 24. These guys exemplified genuine humility when they got up to apologise publicly for what one of them said to the judges. How many people in America can say sorry in public, especially when it could hurt them. If they’re guilty of identity theft, they deserve to be punished. But in America, people are “innocent until proven guilty” and i think they deserved the benefit of the doubt.
Dave
February 18, 2006 @ 3:24 pm
I’m not sure that they’ve been “humble” a day of their lives. They threw everbody else under the bus without hesitation. They were forced to apologize because they made complete fools of themselves.
Karma baby!
It’s true that other people on the show are almost as obnoxious. Fox keeps all of them around in order to make the show more interesting. The Brittenums just had less talent (In my humble opinion) and shouldn’t have bought cars using someone else’s identity - allegedly, of course!
cat
February 21, 2006 @ 4:02 pm
i really think that these guys deserved to get kicked out. even when they apologized, it was with smugness and overdrama.
Too Cool 4 You
February 23, 2006 @ 8:19 pm
I think that the BRITTENUMS were weird ever since the begining. I didn’t think Paula and Randy should have let him into Hollywood. Simon
was actually right about these two.
Jeff
March 9, 2006 @ 2:52 am
Everyone needs to stop hating on the Brittenum Brothers, they had AMAZING voices. They did have an attitude, but the boys can sing!
T Vang
March 10, 2006 @ 12:55 pm
i thought that they were good and shouldn’t have been kicked off. so yall need to stop hatin on them. ur just jealous cuz u cant sing like them
Dave
March 13, 2006 @ 6:15 pm
Well, us haters now have something to be upset about. It looks like Derrel and Terrel have a record deal with Jermain Dupri and SoSo Def Records.
From the SOHH Atlanta Blog:
“Yeah it’s official Jermaine Dupri and SoSo Def just hit the once-fugitive twins Derrell and Terrell Brittenum off with a deal. Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed but it is a done deal.
There had been rumors of a deal over the last couple of days but nothing was concrete, however everything was made official on the V-103 Morning Show today.”
I’ll guess that their careers (meaning their musical and not criminal careers) will be short-lived. Good luck to them.
Big Steve
March 23, 2006 @ 8:32 am
Those yahoos were in the Wendys I work at yesterday.We screwed there order up.Unintentionally though.It was a little surreal.
Anonymous
March 24, 2006 @ 6:30 pm
I hope those two thieves make it big so they can be sued by their victims. Now that would be true American Justice.
boomersrec
March 6, 2007 @ 11:29 am
Everyone makes such a big deal out of people who appear on American Idol doing things that end them up on the news. Maybe the headline should read…
“Thieves from Los Angeles, who tried to change their bad-boy ways by attempting to win a record deal on American Idol, returned to their lives of crime.”
Maybe some people have tough lives, and because we put them up in the spotlight on American Idol, they appeared to be good, clean, nice young men. However, we did not really ever know their past, and just because we see someone on TV with a great voice, does not mean they don’t have the potential for trouble later. Just look at Whitney Houston!!
kittyjack
March 6, 2007 @ 8:49 pm
I think it’s good that they got kicked off!! I mean, it’s American Idol, you know - we are supposed to see them as an entertainment icon, not America’s Most Wanted!! Really now, I’m sure there are a lot of great singers and dancers in the pen! C’mon people, stop being so ignorant that you could possibly think that America would embrace a couple of common criminals just because they could hold a tune! Geez!
thinsurface
March 7, 2007 @ 4:12 pm
I agree, it’s not good to have a show promote their contestants as “squeaky clean” only to have them turn up in criminal records, or in a sex magazine or photo shoot. That’s just not the image the show is trying to portray. I can understand that, and agree that those who do stuff like that should be kicked off, or better yet, maybe those who make it to the Hollywood level should be screened or something. Just to make sure everything is set to move forward.
Bigtyme Idol fan
February 16, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
The Brittenum brothers are wierd overconfident drama queen idiots.The deal with SOSO Def collapsed as most o you know. GOOD! Bigger retards were never seen previous to their arrival on idol. They look stupid in those mUGshots as they do in public. Never shutup or give anyone else camera time. Idol has an excellent reputation and has no use for theiving con men as contestants. Anyone who doesn’t understand that doesn’t understand idol or probably basic arithmetic either. Scam artist scum has no place on American Idol anywhere. Maybe some upcoming CW show where the grand prize is $10.000 and the record deal is worth $25.000. That would be more than these two deserve. Karma has nothing to do with it. They had already commited the crimes BEFORE they came to Idol. It was only a matter of time before someone from the auto dealership spotted them on the show and initiated an investigation and subsequent arrest. If you want to evade capture, stay off of national television! They lost out on a once in a lifetime opportunity so they could have a NEW car. I guarantee you between them they could’ve afforded a used Dodge magnum easily. Just so they could say “LOOK, I have a new car”, they go ahead and commit identity theft. That is beyond vapid, beyond superficial. I wouldn’t buy their horrible music if you paid me. They aren’t appealing to anyone.
Enjoy your prison sentence and felony conviction boys. And don’t fret, I have no doubt there will be many many more. Anyone who reads this please mark my words…these terds will be back in trouble again with the law because they are inherently dishonest and I am so thrilled that IDOL did not accept them back this year)(2008) to be in the show. Best news I’d heard in a while. YESSSSSSSS!!!!!