You can't rise to fame without getting a few haters.
Just ask Adam Lambert. The American Idol runner up went
through some difficult times both during and after his time
on the show.
Adam Lambert became a major star when he joined the
cast of American Idol Season 8.
But even though he was a fan favorite from the
start,
he hasn't always been treated kindly by the public and
the media.
From attempted expose days pertaining to his sexuality to backlash
over performances and body shaming,
Lambert has gone through the wringer a number of times.
As an American Idol contestant,
Lambert was forced to publicly address his sexuality after viewers
stuck up images of him and a former boyfriend on
social media.
The show's publicist reached out to ask how Lambert wanted
to deal with the situation,
but the singer wasn't exactly bothered for a few reasons.
For starters, he had already been openly gay for years
at that point.
How does that feel to be open to the world
now?
It feels really good, 'cause I think there was a
lot of speculation and a lot of talk.
And and yeah, Lambert has since told People magazine that
some of the criticism he received stung a little.
Nevertheless, he also told the outlet that he'd used it
to his benefit,
saying it made me stronger and informed the kind of
art that I wanted to make.
A few months after controversially placing second in American Idol,
Adam Lambert released his first studio album,
For Your Entertainment. Not long after,
he went on to perform the title track at the
2009 American Music Awards, a performance that saw him face
a ton of backlash.
Lambert's live performance was incredibly raunchy and included him pushing
dancers towards his crotch.
It also saw him have a spontaneous make out stash.
There's no denying then that there was bound to be
some controversy,
but Lambert has pointed out that he'd seen straight artists
do very similar things on stage.
That's why it felt like things had been blown out
of proportion when he was banned from a scheduled appearance
on Good Morning America and even threatened with the possibility
of legal action. That said,
he was incredibly gracious about the situation.
During an interview with The Ellen Show,
he maintained that he didn't think he needed to apologize
over anything,
but also pointed out that he could understand that the
raunchiness might not have been such a wise call on
his part.
Graciousness aside, Lambert also told people that the fallout marked
a defining point in his career.
As he put it, I was like,
well, fine, I'm going to lean in and I'm going
to be as gay as I can be and be
flamboyant and be wild.
Lambert has also expressed his admiration for other LGBTQ performers
who aren't afraid to show the world who they are,
like Lil Nas X when he had his own awards
show,
Kiss, at the 2021 BET Awards.
Another issue that Lambert has dealt with is unkind commentary
about his weight,
which he also talked to people about,
Speaking of jabs he'd received about his weight gain,
he shared. I thought to myself,
I'm fully aware I'm not the same size I was
five years ago,
thanks for reminding me. Lambert added That age had likely
played a pretty big role in his changing figure,
but also reminded critics that a whole lot of things
could contribute to weight gain.
Lambert also addressed the weight shaming in a
2023 Instagram Live, in which he pointed out that even
if he was bigger than he'd been in his 20s,
he was happier and healthier than he'd been back then.
He also noted that anxiety medication likely played a role
in his weight gain,
something he was pretty unbothered by.
As he explained, I'm relaxed and I'm making art,
and I love myself. More than a year after that,
Instagram Live, the singer returned with another.
This time it came after Lambert's drastic weight loss,
which he attributed to the use of the weight loss
medication Manjaro.
His decision to start taking it had less to do
with his body image,
though, as he explained that a doctor recommended it to
help him manage his blood sugar.
Much like the homophobia, the body shaming Lambert has endured
has been pretty brutal,
but he's not the type to let a critic or
a troll get him down.