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Nearly five months after returning to “American Idol” for the first time since winning the show in 2020, Samantha “Just Sam” Diaz has also returned to busking in New York subway stations, still trying to pave a path to success.
Diaz has sung in subway stations on and off for years to make ends meet. But on September 23, 2024, the soulful singer reported being physically “attacked” for the first time while performing.
Samantha Diaz Says This is the First Altercation After ‘Many Years’ of ‘Singing Underground’
Diaz, who was the first LGBTQ+ and non-binary “American Idol” winner, per the Washington Post, took to their Instagram Stories on September 23, referencing a video that purportedly showed the unexpected altercation.
“The woman in the video attacked me and my sister unprovoked,” Diaz wrote in white text on a black background. “NOTHING like this has EVER happened to me before in all my many years of singing underground!!”
Diaz then added, “We are okay and we are always safe. I never ever go to the trains alone. Thank you to everyone for having my back. We are Great! God is always protecting us.”
The following day, a video was uploaded to Diaz’s Instagram feed that showed the singer holding a portable microphone at Union Square in Manhattan while shouting at a woman several feet away. The woman was being redirected by a man standing between her and Diaz.
“I’m telling you right now, back up,” Diaz shouted and pointed at the woman as she slowly moved away, staring at Diaz. As the singer continued to shout and their sister shooed the woman away, Diaz could be heard saying, “I understand, but that’s your own demons. You deal with that on your own. I’m not doing that.”
Before Diaz began singing again, the person taking the video said to Diaz, “Hey, girl, keep going. Don’t let that stop (you). That’s right.”
Diaz captioned the video, “I can’t I can’t believe this even happened 🙄🙄”
When someone asked what had happened in the comment section, Diaz replied, “she put her hands on me and my sister”
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In the comment section of Diaz’s post, many fans reacted with sympathy and encouragement, including who wrote, “Love you, Sam! You’re always the bigger person. Thank you for being the example. Never allow anyone to dim your bright light!!”
But a few used the occasion to mock Diaz’s circumstances and accuse the “Idol” winner of using any profits from the show for drugs. On the morning of September 25, Diaz uploaded another video to their Instagram Stories to thank those who have been supportive — and to mock those that haven’t.
Over the video, a text box said, “Thank you to everyone who has had my back from the beginning. To those of you making up lies, keep talking. It’s very entertaining to hear the stories that you all make up 😔”
In the video, Diaz said, “So, to everyone in the comments who has my back, I love you and appreciate you so much. To those of you lying on my name, go ahead and do it.”
“Yeah, I’m on drugs,” Diaz said sarcastically. “That’s what y’all wanna say? Yep. I take whatever drug you say I’m on, that is the drug that I’m on. And whatever lies you tell, everybody, believe it if they want to. Like, whatever they say, it’s true. It’s true.”
“You want to think I’m on drugs?” Diaz continued, quickly making a funny face and sounds, “I’ll make you think it. You want to think I’m crazy? I’ll make you think it. Like, I really don’t care. But you don’t know me, guys. You really don’t know me. A lot of you do not know me.”
In early 2024, Diaz appeared on “The Tamron Hall Show” with hip hop artist JaRule, who had seen a Washington Post profile about the “Idol” winner, who was struggling to make ends meet.
“Unfortunately in this business — it’s a very tough business — there’s a lot of talent sitting on the shelf,” JaRule said on the show. “You drop by Skid Row in LA, there’s probably Oscar winners and Grammy winners laying on the ground. So there’s talent everywhere and…I’m in a position where I can pay it forward.”
Other artists, including producer Timbaland and Lil’ Durk, have praised Diaz and commended the singer’s tenacity, offering to help, but it’s unclear whether anything has materialized. Diaz did sign with a management agency for booking appearances and performances.
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