AMERICAN Idol’s William Hung was seen catching the bus in Los Angeles after revealing he is addicted to gambling.
The 41-year-old went viral with his off-key but enthusiastic audition for american idol in 2004.
7
7
William, who was 21 at the time, won over fans with his performance of Ricky Martin’s She Bangs.
The brief clip was enough to catapult him to stardom and he appeared on talk shows and sporting events in the years that followed.
However, the singer was forced to return to his old job as an analyst for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department after spending your winnings on a gambling addiction.
On Wednesday, William was seen getting off a $9 bus at LAX after giving an interview about his gambling habits.
Read more about American Idol
The analyst — who flew from Las Vegas to Los Angeles — wore a backpack promoting a gambling website as he pushed his luggage from Union Station to the subway.
He looked casual in an orange t-shirt, baggy jeans, a navy blue jacket and Nike Dunk sneakers.
William rose to fame on the third season of American Idol, winning over viewers despite criticism of the show.
The judges openly laughed at her performance and Simon Cowell called it “one of the worst auditions we’ve had this year”.
His audition exploded online, spawning a Saturday Night Live parody and countless memes.
William has appeared on talk shows by Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres and Jimmy Kimmel.
He was a student at the time and had been living in the US for a decade after immigrating from Hong Kong with his family.
I developed an addiction to gambling. I paid for it. I Got Divorced and Learned I Needed to Be Smart About What Risks I Chose to Take
William hanging
After the show, he released an album called Inspiration in 2004, which peaked on Billboard.
William returned to university, became a crime analyst, and resigned in 2021 to pursue a career as a professional poker player.
Earlier this year, he revealed that he became addicted to gambling and that his problems led to his divorce.
“I had been doing this for a while and decided maybe I was good enough to do this,” he said. People in January.
7
7
“I earned a lot more doing this than I did at my regular job. Everything was going well for a while. Unfortunately, I developed an addiction to gambling.”
William explained that he “got greedy” when he started betting on sports.
“I paid for it. I got divorced and learned that I needed to be smart about the risks I chose to take,” the former reality star said.
He said his friends and family helped him recover and he hopes to return to work at the sheriff’s department.
“It’s a good way to start a new future,” William told ABC’s Eyewitness News.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, please call National Problem Gambling Helpline at 800-522-4700.
7
7
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
