"American Idol" sensation William Hung said a gambling addiction led to his divorce.
The singer made a name for himself in 2004 after his memorable audition for Season 3 of the reality competition show. Although he didn't make it to the next round, Hung went viral for his off-key delivery and accompanying dance moves of Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs."
"I had my moment at the top," Hung told People of his music career. "My first album, 'Inspiration,' was the No. 1 independent album on the Billboard charts."
Hung went on to earn a degree and an MBA in mathematics. He worked at the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department as a statistical analyst before opting to become a professional poker player. It was during this time that he developed a gambling addiction.
"I quit my job three years ago and became a professional poker player," Hung told People. "I'd been doing it on the side for a while, and I decided maybe I was good enough to go for it. I was earning way more doing that than I was at my regular job. It was going well for awhile."
Things took a turn for the worse.
"Unfortunately, I developed a gambling addiction," Hung said. "I knew I was good at poker, but then I got greedy. I got into sports betting. The whole gamut. I know better [now]. I wasn't supposed to do those things, but I did it, anyway."
His addiction resulted in divorce, which ultimately taught Hung to "be smart about which risks I chose to take."
Last year, Hung wrote a letter addressing his addiction, which he posted on Linkedin.
"Things went downhill fast when my ex-wife found out about you," he wrote. "I came home from work one day, and she started asking me all these questions about why I was so nervous about every sports game and why I was always tired ... How do you think that went — with all of the money I could have used to improve our life — gone? I'll give you a hint: it ended with her asking for a divorce."
Now married to his third wife, Hung has resumed his role as a statistical analyst for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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