American Idol star David Archuleta said that competing on the show was "traumatic." David came in second place during Season 7, while the show was still airing on FOX. While he came in second place, he went on to become a household name and one of Idol's most memorable contestants. Perhaps his biggest moment on the show was during the semi-finals, when he sang John Lennon's "Imagine."
Earlier this year, David made headlines when he came out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. He revealed that after initially coming out as gay to his family in 2014, he realized that he had similar feelings for both genders. This led him to eventually come out as bisexual. Furthermore, David felt that his sexuality was complicated by a deep connection to his Mormon faith.
David revealed to Variety that he struggled with his identity during his time on American Idol. In particular, he faced a difficult moment during his live performance of "Imagine." Original judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell, all told him that he was fantastic. Simon even said he was "the one to beat." But as David listened to the praise from the judges and the audience, only one thing ran through his mind: "I don't want to be here anymore." Not only was David getting pressure from viewers to come out, but his father would tell him these stories like they were "hot gossip."
David also reveals that his sexuality wasn't the only thing bothering him. He was overwhelmed by the unrelenting schedule. He hated being pitted against other singers. He desperately missed his family back home in Utah. Fundamentally, Archuleta didn’t know that he wanted any of this at all. Today, David says he's still trying to come to terms with his Idol experience. He said, "I felt so disconnected from everything... Like, 13 years later, I’m piecing together what actually was going on. But it’s still a process because I still don’t understand why people were so into it.”
David wouldn't be the first American Idol to open up about a negative off-screen experience. It seems like he isn't blaming anyone who worked on the show in particular, however. Past contestants have blamed producers or called out the Idol brand as a whole. Perhaps David's struggles were with fame in general, regardless of the platform. The bigger picture may be that entering the spotlight in any capacity can be quite destructive, especially for teens. David was 16 when he entered the Idol competition, and most of the show's stars are teenagers. Perhaps David's story will encourage other reality TV stars to speak out.
Source: Variety
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