Remember William Hung? He Became A Poker Player, Then Suffered A Gambling Addiction
"American Idol" alum William Hung revealed how life had been for him after his viral fame died down.
Hung gained popularity in 2004 when he auditioned during "American Idol's" third season with his off-key rendition of Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs."
Within the 10 years from his iconic audition up to the present, he experienced his fair share of ups and downs, which he detailed in a recent interview.
In an interview with People, Hung, now 41, revealed that he became a professional poker player after quitting his job as a statistical analyst at the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
He said he was doing well and earning way more than his regular job until things went downhill.
"Unfortunately, I developed a gambling addiction," Hung confessed.
"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 anyway," he detailed.
According to Hung, his gambling addiction led to his ex-wife divorcing him. In 2023, he took to his LinkedIn profile to share his goodbye letter to his gambling problem.
"Things went downhill fast when my ex-wife found out about you. 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. Eventually, I couldn't hide you anymore," he wrote.
Hung continued, "I told her how you gave me one of the biggest lucky streaks in my life, only to take it away. 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."
Soon after paying the price of his gambling addiction, Hung picked himself back up, got remarried and went back to his old job at the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
Per People, the "American Idol" alum hopes to start a family with his new wife, Hannah.
While he said that he'll continue to pursue entertainment projects on the side, he is now focused on stability and having a steady job.
"I think it's the right thing to do, to provide for my family now," he said.
