Fans Helping ‘American Idol’ Winner Stay Afloat With Donations

Heavy 2020 "American Idol" winner Samantha "Just Sam" Diaz is accepting online donations from fans

One month after superstar producer Timbaland offered to help get her music career back on track, Samantha Diaz, known to “American Idol” fans as the show’s 2020 winner Just Sam, is still struggling to make ends meet as she slowly rebuilds her career.

After first revealing on social media in early 2022 that she was “broke” following her “American Idol” win, she recently resorted to singing for money in the New York subway system, which she did before getting discovered on the show. Videos of her busking have gone viral and generated lots of new attention for the singer. But as she slowly makes connections with industry insiders and weighs her options, Diaz is now accepting donations from fans to help keep her afloat in the meantime, including launching an online fundraiser. Here’s what you need to know:

Samantha ‘Just Sam’ Diaz Launches GoFundMe Campaign

ABC/YouTubeSamantha Diaz, known as Just Sam, on “American Idol”

Earlier this year, Diaz began posting social media videos of herself busking in the New York subway system, including a cover of Adele’s “Easy On Me” that’s had over two million views. The last video she posted was on June 21.

Two days later, Diaz launched a “Support Just Sam” GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $9,000 to help her cover “rent, food and monthly bills.” As of July 3, fans had donated a little over $1,200. Writing about her situation for those considering donating, Diaz shared that it’s been difficult singing in the subway system because so many people recognize her and some are unkind.

She wrote, “This time, people recognize me and ask: what happened to you? Even though I’m so grateful for my journey, I’ve had to deal with social media harassment, questions about my health, and even false accusations of addiction.”

Diaz also revealed that she has signed with an agent and is trying to raise money to travel to California to work on her music.

“I just want to sing, and my goal is to share new music with my fans,” she wrote. “I now have an agent and we’re working hard to respond to all of the interest in my album and career. In the meantime, I need support with my living expenses, and a trip to California to work on some music.”

On June 26, Diaz also received surprise donations from fans who happened to be watching the YouTube show “Fortune’s Live Talent,” hosted by gospel artists James Fortune and Isaac Carree, who were not familiar with her story. Each week, the duo listens to amateur musicians hoping to land a record deal. Diaz was one of many hopped on the live broadcast to sing a song for them, but fans instantly recognized her and the two noticed their comments.

Carree exclaimed, “Wait, time out. You won ‘American Idol?'”

“By the grace of God, yeah,” Diaz replied sheepishly and then, at their request, shared a little bit about her journey and that she’s recently returned to busking.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through and I don’t know whose paths that you’ve crossed, but God has a way of strategically linking people up for a reason,” Carree told her. “We’re strategic for being a blessing to people and helping people any way we can. We don’t want anything from you, we just want to get something to you.”

As Diaz wiped away tears before singing for them, Carree then encouraged viewers to send money earmarked for Diaz through the show’s Cash App account and instantly received several donations.

Samantha Diaz First Revealed in Early 2022 That She Was ‘Broke’ After ‘Idol’

Diaz, who virtually won “Idol” from the confines of a hotel room with the show’s celebrity judges listening in from their homes during the early weeks of the COVID pandemic, revealed that she was “broke” in January 2022 via Instagram Stories captured by Just Jared. It’s not clear why she left the record deal she won on the show, but she has previously said it was difficult to work on or record any music while most studios were closed. 

“I’m not even going to tell you guys the amount of money that I had to pay after leaving the label to claim songs that I already recorded,” she said on Instagram. “And I invested in myself and ended up broke. That’s the truth.”

Diaz worked odd jobs, occasionally posting photos or videos from behind a Starbucks counter, but in the end, it was not enough and she returned to busking in the subway system in 2023. But this time, fans began to recognize her and post videos of the “Idol” winner singing for cash.

In late May, Diaz was invited by rapper and producer Timbaland to briefly appear on his popular live TikTok show. User @_ultrahd_ recorded and posted the conversation, during which Timbaland — ranked as one of Billboard’s top three greatest producers of the 21st century — offered to help Diaz make a comeback after losing the record deal she received as part of her “Idol” winnings.

“Basically, I only had a certain amount (of money) after I parted ways with the label that I was with,” Diaz told Timbaland. “Majority of that money went to my music and I did not know what to do from there. I really didn’t. To be honest, I probably was not the best to have whatever amount I had after I was with them — but it was not much.”

Diaz continued, “And then, like, some people know taxes happened. And so, from there, I needed to pay bills and I was like, ‘Alright, you know, I’m not going to ‘American Idol’ (for help). They did enough. What am I going to do? Go to them and be like, ‘Hey, I need rent money, I need to eat?’ No, I’m a hustler. I’ve always been a hustler.”

Timbaland promised to reach out to Diaz in her DMs, saying that she had “something special,” but it’s not clear whether the two have since reconnected.

Shortly after that exchange, on June 2, Diaz told TMZ that she was amazed by the outpouring of love and support from fans and musicians who’d heard about her plight.