William Hung is making headlines two decades after his “American Idol” audition — and it’s not for his rendition of “She Bangs.”
Hung, 41, who famously sang Ricky Martin’s 2000 song during his audition in January 2004, recently opened up about his secret gambling problem.
His downfall began when he quit his job three years ago to become a professional poker player.
“I’d been doing it on the side for a while, and I decided maybe I was good enough to go for it,” he told People. “I was earning way more doing that than I was at my regular job. It was going well for a while.”
However, he ultimately developed an addiction and fell into the world of sports betting.
“I know better 1705424405. I wasn’t supposed to do those things, but I did it anyway,” he said, calling himself “greedy.”
“And I paid for it. I got divorced, and I learned I had to be smart about which risks I chose to take.”
After his stint on the singing competition, the Hong Kong native dropped out of the University of California, Berkeley to launch a music career.
“I had my moment at the top,” he recalled. “My first album, ‘Inspiration,’ was the No. 1 independent album on the Billboard charts.”
But after a few TV gigs and time in the limelight, public affection started to wane, and he went back to school to finish his degree.
“There’s nothing wrong with having a steady job after fame,” he stated. “I think it’s the right thing to do, to provide for my family now.”
Hung then scored a job as a data analyst in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. But his daily usage of numbers enticed him enough to try his hand at gambling.
Now, Hung is on the mend and is in recovery. He even got remarried and returned to his job.
“In this situation, very few people can stay on top for long,” Hung told People. “So after a little while, I thought, ‘I don’t want to waste my life.’ So I went back to school, finished my degree and looked for a stable job. That was OK with me. I’d already gotten more out of ‘American Idol’ than I ever could have expected.”
Hung’s performance is still one of the most viral auditions that the series has ever had. Despite being off-key, he became a favorite with judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell.
“I may not be the best singer, but I sing from the heart,” Hung said at the time.