Just Sam, a subway singer who won season 18 of American Idol, was hospitalized this week with an unknown illness.
The 23-year-old performer, born Samantha Diaz, has had a string of recent health problems and continues to update her followers on Instagram.
“Thank you to everyone that checked on me. I am ALIVE and out of the hospital,” she shared on her Instagram Stories Wednesday, Aug. 24, according to Heavy.com.
The next day, she appeared to be back in the hospital, but said her condition was improving. “I need a better hospital bruh. I hate it here tbh,” she wrote.
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The singer-songwriter from Harlem, New York shared more updates on Friday, Aug. 26.
“I’m grateful for the prayers everyone. I’m doing much better now,” she posted. She also uploaded a picture of a scale and wrote, “100 lbs is crazy. I seriously need help.”
Sam got her start singing on subway trains in New York City. She was the subject of the 2018 documentary short Sam, Underground directed by Ladan Osman and Joe Penney. In the film, Sam shared that she and her sister were adopted by their grandmother and had little contact with their birth mom.
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Sam earned a trip to Los Angeles on ABC’s American Idol in 2020, and won the title. The season was virtual after the COVID-19 pandemic began and according to published reports, Sam recorded her performance videos in her hotel room.
Earlier this year, Sam shared that she was broke and had returned to singing on the subway.
“I thought it was gonna be easy,” she said on her Instagram Stories. “Just go to the studio, record, put out music, and that’s not how the world works. That’s not how the industry works. It takes time, it takes money that I don’t have. It takes patience.”
On Aug. 4, she posted audio of her new single “Pain Is Power,” and said the song is available on music streaming platforms.
She also continues to share videos of herself singing on the subway.
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