Tragic Details About Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert became a major star when he joined the cast of "American Idol" Season 8 — but while he was a fan favorite from the start, that's not to say he's always been treated kindly by the public and the media. On the contrary, from attempted exposés pertaining to his sexuality, to backlash over performances and later body shaming, Lambert has been put through the wringer a number of times.
Speaking to them in December 2023, Lambert spoke of the time he was forced to publicly acknowledge being gay. He'd been an "American Idol" contestant and some viewers had dug up images of him and a former boyfriend on his Tribe account. "These people found these pictures and were like, 'Look, he's kissing a boy!'" he recounted. Unsurprisingly, the show's publicist reached out to ask how he wanted to deal with the situation — but Lambert wasn't exactly bothered. For starters, there was the fact that he'd been openly gay for years at that point. He also shared that the publicist had been incredibly supportive of his decision to respond to the questions regarding his sexuality, with what could be seen as the forerunner to Ariana Grande's "Yes, and?"
Lambert has since told People that some of the criticism he received had stung a little. Nevertheless, he also told the outlet that he'd used it to his benefit. "It made me stronger and informed the kind of art that I wanted to make," he said. Take that, haters.
He faced major backlash in 2009
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 titular 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 makeout sesh with his bass player. There's no denying, then, that there was bound to be some controversy. However, Lambert has also pointed out that he'd seen straight artists do very similar things on stage, so it definitely felt blown out of proportion that 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 over the situation in an interview with "The Ellen Show." Though he maintained that he didn't think he needed to apologize over anything, he also pointed out that he could understand that the unrehearsed raunchiness might not have been a wise call on his part.
Graciousness aside, Lambert has since told People the fallout marked a defining point in his career. "I was like, 'Well, fine. I'm going to lean in and I'm going to be as gay as I f***ing can be, and be flamboyant, and be wild," he said. More recently, Lambert has spoken out in praise of Lil Nas X for his own awards show kiss, applauding his confidence.
Adam Lambert has dealt with body shaming
Another issue Adam Lambert dealt with more recently has been unkind commentary about his weight, which he addressed in an interview with People. Speaking of comments he'd seen 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 that, 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 the video, Lambert 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 — something he was pretty unbothered by. At the end of the day, he explained, "I'm relaxed, and I'm making art. And I love myself" (via TikTok).
More than a year after that Instagram Live, the singer returned with another. This time, the Live came after Lambert's drastic weight loss, which he attributed in the video to using weight-loss medication, Mounjaro. That had nothing to do with haters, though. He revealed in the video 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 tragic — but he's never let a critic get him down.