American Idol Alum Caleb Flynn’s Daughter Was “Not Surprised” By His Mistress’ Identity, Aunt Testifies
Caleb Flynn’s daughters were “heartbroken” to learn of his affair, their aunt testified in his murder trial, adding that his eldest was “not surprised” by the woman’s identity.
American Idol’s Caleb Flynn and Ashley Flynn’s young daughters were crushed to learn their dad was having an affair, according to their aunt.
“They were mostly brokenhearted for Mommy,” Ashley’s sister Kayla Kyte testified Sept. 22 during Caleb’s murder trial. “They were shocked, they were upset for their mommy, because they said she loved Daddy more than anyone else in life, so why did Daddy not love her as much?”
According to Kayla, the girls, ages 10 and 12, knew Caleb’s mistress, who was a worship leader at Ohio’s Christian Life Center where she and Caleb sang together.
“When we told them who it was,” Kayla added, “the oldest said, ‘I’m not surprised.’”
Prosecutors say Caleb shot Ashley in their Tipp City home Feb. 16, then staged the crime scene to look like a home invasion. He is charged with one count of aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of tampering with evidence.
Caleb has pleaded not guilty, and while he acknowledged having an affair, his defense team maintains that he wanted to divorce Ashley, not kill her.
But prosecutors have revealed more than 100,000 alleged text messages between Caleb and the woman, in which he expressed “hatred” for Ashley and a desire to murder her.
“I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail,” Caleb allegedly wrote. “If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat. That is how dark and how hateful I feel.”
In another alleged message—written hours before Ashley’s death—Caleb wrote: “I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow, February 16, a day I’ll never forget.”
Ashley’s sister admitted she had heard rumors of Caleb’s infidelity.
“I was so mad because it was tarnishing his reputation,” she recalled in her testimony. “I just knew in my heart that he was completely innocent.”
Kayla said she was in shock when she learned of the affair, even accusing authorities of arresting the wrong man.
“I had them repeat it to me probably two or three times,” she said. “I could not even fathom the thought.”
However, the family has not explicitly told the girls that their father is accuse of killing their mother.
“They always ask questions,” Kayla said. "We say, ‘That is what we are being told.’"
A spokesperson from Christian Life Center church told Oxygen it had "no knowledge of any alleged inappropriate relationship" between Caleb and the woman, who occasionally sang together during worship services.
"However, they did not appear together at every service in which either participated," the spokesperson added. "Caleb was engaged on a monthly basis to assist the worship team; he was not a church staff member or pastor."
The woman voluntarily resigned from her position with the church, according to spokesperson, who said, "At the time of her resignation, she did not provide the church with any explanation or comments regarding her decision."
"We are deeply saddened by this painful situation and continue to pray for all those affected," the spokesperson said. "We hope the legal process provides truth, accountability, and justice for everyone involved."