'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
While American Idol season 21 recently wrapped up and found a winner, a former champion recently made the news. Samantha “Just Sam” Diaz, the singer who took home the prize from the comfort of their own home during season 18, was recently spotted singing on subway stations in New York City.
Just Sam recently took to Instagram to share what they’ve been up to, and in a now-deleted lengthy statement, as reported by Just Jared, they stated that they went broke after the competition. They added that in 2021, they were embarrassed that they had to return to the trains and that they didn’t want people to know that they needed the money and that it wasn’t optional.
They added:
"I was disappointed in myself for allowing myself to fall so low after winning Idol, but then I had to take it easy on me and remember that I started my journey with Idol at 20 years old. Not even knowing anything about Hollywood or the music industry."
The former American Idol winner further stated that they’ve learned so much since then and that they’ve been able to take their experiences and share them with other artists in hopes that they don’t go through what they did.
Former American Idol winner Samantha Just Sam Diaz thanks fans for their support
American Idol season 18 took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to which contestants gave back-to-back performances from the comfort of their homes in order to remain safe.
The winner, Samantha Just Sam Diaz, who was 20 years old at the time, recently opened up about their ordeal since the show. In the now-deleted Instagram post, they shared that they had to resort back to singing in subway stations almost a year after the show.
While the post's caption has since been deleted, fans took to the Instagram post to show their support for the singer. Several fans noted that while the former American Idol contestant is doing what they have to to make ends meet, it breaks their hearts.
They added that the winner of the show deserves better and even questioned the mentors, namely Lionel Richie, for not helping her out. They further tagged Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and American Idol to try and make sense of the situation and wondered if there was a story that needed to be told.
The former winner showed her appreciation for the support they received from the fans via their Instagram story and stated that while there is so much that they want to say, “there’s not much” that they’re allowed to say, but assured the fans that they will say more very soon.
Just Sam continued:
"For now I will just say thank you so much to everyone who has my back.. Thank you so so much to the people who are showing me nothing but love and supporting me. Thank you all for the patience!!! It’s definitely needed and appreciated."
They signed the appreciation note as “Samantha aka Just Sam.”
As per Insider, the singer signed with Hollywood Records after winning the competition. However, they released just one single under the label before the deal fell through.
American Idol has since produced three more seasons and wrapped up season 21 on Sunday, May 21, 2023. The winner of the latest season is William Tongi.
