American Idol singer Alex Lambert reached the top 16 finalists last year and has been living a hard scrabble life in LA ever since. Lambert (no relation to 2009 runner up Adam Lambert) tweeted that he’s been homeless and sleeping in alleyways and is in need of help. He’s since backtracked on some of tweets, and admits that while it’s true he’s been sleeping outdoors he does have some money and there are options for him to stay at friends’ houses but he doesn’t want to impose. Since completely Idol, Lambert has been working on Idol creator Simon Fuller’s Hulu reality show “If I Can Dream.” American Idol reps have been quick to point out that Alex isn’t homeless and that he gets paid every month.
About 10 p.m. PT last night, season 9 American Idol alum Alex Lambert announced to the world, via a string of posts to his Twitter feed, that he’s been living on the streets since finishing appearing on Simon Fuller’s Hulu reality series If I Can Dream, which wrapped its first season in October. ”Alright so I didn’t want to bring my person life to my fans but I’m about to freak out if I don’t tell yall the truth!” Lambert tweeted. “Ever since IICD ended I’ve been kinda homeless! Sleepin on the street and behind buildings.” A string of other tweets followed, where Lambert said that he’s “usually a strong person but I can’t take it anymore.” He continued: “I just want my fans to know that I’m not an American Idol type person!” And he finished by saying, “I just want y’all to know the truth!”
A spokesperson for 19 Entertainment, an Idol production company that manages many of the show’s contestants, confirmed to EW that Lambert did tweet those messages. But the rep also was also emphatic: “He’s not homeless. I don’t know where that came from.”
The spokesperson added some evidence that Lambert, who’s on a development deal with 19, should have the means to pay for housing: “He’s on a retainer, and he’s getting money every month. He’s working on demos. He’s with writers, he’s working on music.” Then the rep added: “He’s not homeless. How could he be texting? How could he be going into recording studio and sleeping on the streets? There’s no record deal yet, but hopefully these demos something could come from that.”
That party line must have gotten back to Lambert, too, because 15 hours after the original messages appeared, a new string of tweets hit Lambert’s feed, where the singer said there was a “miscommunication,” although he does admit to “crashin behind buildings and sleepin behind buidings.” He added, over multiple tweets: “I’m a grown ass man. I’ve had so much help out here in LA! I just want to do things on my own! I have places to stay I just don’t want to be a burden on anyone! I have money! And soon I will have a place to stay! I just wanted to let y’all know! I’m not some rich spoiled kid! That I’ve had to hustle and grind and I don’t mind sleepin on the street as long as I get my chance! Because I will not take it for granted! I hope y’all understand. Sorry for the miscommunication. I’m just fine!”
Idol’s bigwigs can’t admit that they use these kids and toss them out to the point where they have to fend for themselves. This 20 year-old actually did sleep outdoors in LA and he tweeted about it because he wanted someone, anyone, to help him. He apparently got a place to live while filming that Hulu documentary. (Here’s a link to one of his video logs from that show.) After that, though, he didn’t know what to do or who to trust. Maybe the Idol people will lend him a hand now, but I doubt this incident will convince them that they need to look after these kids in the future.
Alex Lambert is shown in May, 2010. Credit: WENN.com
Ugh, this is so sad… I agree that he’s probably telling the truth. There’s always been a tendency for Idol to use them through the contract, then toss them aside.
Poor kid… I really hope that, if for no other reason than to protect their precious reputation, the Idol bigwigs will lend him a hand. (and an apartment.)
Sounds like he’s looking for publicity.
Something is not right here, how does he have access to a computer or a phone to tweet if he is on the streets?
It’s a hell of a lot easier to find free internet than housing.
i have utmost sympathy for anyone who finds themselves homeless or broke but it’s not the tv companies job to look after them anymore than it’s their job to look after me!
Agree with Roma. Vanessa, one of my students keeps in touch with her (homeless) father via regular email. If you’re relatively clean/presentable, you can go to any library or internet cafe and access the internet. He also has a cell phone that works most of the time. I’m not commenting on the veracity of Lambert’s claim, I’m just saying it’s quite possible.
I can understand how he wouldn’t know who to trust anymore. IICD’s producers pulled the rug out from under their houseguests, all of whom had relocated their lives and careers to LA for the opportunities the show promised. They were given less than 48 hours’ notice that production was shutting down and they were getting kicked out of the house. I’ve been worried about all of them since then; they were ecstatic to finally begin the careers they wanted, and then all of a sudden, they were homeless. It was a very poorly managed situation.
This reminds me of the blond kid a few years back living in his car. He was talented and sweet but didn’t hit it big. I think it was because he got nervous,too bad.
@JenJen- I almost never watch this show but I do remember that! How sad 🙁
Actually he’s on the 19 payroll and has been receiving money for months. He’s just a drama queen looking for attention.
Whether he’s really homeless or not…
I think everyone who’s ever been on a reality show knows how cruel & harsh the business is. Once they get the show out of you, they don’t need you anymore.
I don’t understand why people keep subjecting themselves to this, even knowing what’s probably going to happen afterwards. Probably only 1% of those who appear on reality shows every go on to do something else in the entertainment industry.
I don’t think they’d care if he was sleeping on the street or in the backseat of his car…Unless that fact was going to somehow going to damage their (the company’s) reputation, thus their income.
i sad to hear it, but i can do anything at all