American Idol winner Just Sam wrote Tuesday that they wanted to explain further but could not after outlets reported the performer had returned to singing in the subways to earn money. (Watch the videos below.)

Theres so much that I want to say, but theres not much that I am allowed to say, the singer, whose offstage name is Samantha Diaz, wrote cryptically in an Instagram story. But I promise that I will say more very soon.

Diaz won the remote 2020 competition amid the pandemic, but fame and fortune failed to materialize, forcing them to busk in New York Citys subways as they had done before.

Back in 2021, I was super embarrassed to be going back to the trains, Diaz wrote earlier this month in a since-deleted caption that accompanied a subway performance of Ariana Grande s Almost Is Never Enough.

I didnt want people to know that I legit needed the money & I didnt want people to know that it wasnt optional.