American Idol winner Samantha Diaz was left horrified after an “unprovoked attack” by two women at a New York subway station.
The singer, 25, known by their stage name Just Sam, was performing a rendition of Beyonce’s hit track Irreplaceable.
But the reality TV star was rudely interrupted when two passengers came over and “attacked” the star and their sister.
Just Sam shared a video of a passerby trying confront the star and captioned it: “I can’t believe this even happened.”
After telling the woman to “back up”, Just Sam continued singing and belting out the pop track, while a fan could be heard shouting: “Keep going, don’t let that stop you.”
Just Sam told fans on Instagram: “The woman in the video attacked me and my sister unprovoked…NOTHING like this has EVER happened to me before in all my many years of singing underground.
“We are okay and we are always safe.
“I never ever go to the trains alone.
“Thank you to everyone for having my back. We are great.
“God is always protecting us.”
Fans have praised the singer for holding it together.
American Idol winner Just Sam breaks down in tears and sobs hysterically after dog is struck and killed by ‘careless’ driver
One wrote: “Came right back in with the ever so clean vocals. The show must go on.”
A second posted: “Love you, Sam! You’re always the bigger person. Thank you for being the example. Never allow anyone to dim your bright light!!”
A third added: “She got way too close to Sam and would not move. People need to respect personal space. It was wonderful watching your live. Keep going Sam!!”
SAD LOSS
It’s been a tough time for Just Sam lately after they announced the death of their dog in an emotional video last month.
They were mourning the death of their pitbull terrier Jaxson after a “reckless driver” tragically killed the dog.
“I just want to say cherish your dogs. It took a couple of seconds for a reckless driver to take my dog’s life,” the 24-year-old singer said, between sobs, in a video posted on Instagram.
In the caption, Just Sam broke down and admitted “my heart is broken” after his dog’s life was “taken way too early”, while condemning the driver who allegedly hit Jaxson.
“It sucks that the person who did this still hasn’t said anything about the situation,” they wrote. “They didn’t slow down or hit the brakes to avoid him, they didn’t try to swerve out of the way.”
The reality TV star alleged the driver was “speeding and possibly under the influence”, adding that Jaxson’s death “almost doesn’t feel like an accident.”
“I can’t help but question how someone could be not only so reckless on the road, but careless as well.
“What if my dog was my child??” they continued. “Lord!! I just hate that this happened.”
The Idol alum made headlines last year when Just Sam revealed they were back busking for money in New York City’s subways after winning the singing reality show in May 2020.
LIFE AFTER IDOL
At the time, they shared an Instagram video singing Ariana Grande’s song Almost Is Never Enough on the subway.
Just Sam admitted they were “super embarrassed to be going back to the trains” after winning American Idol in a since-deleted caption.
“I didn’t want people to know that I legit needed the money & I didn’t want people to know that it wasn’t optional,” they wrote.
Just Sam added, “I was disappointed in myself for allowing myself to fall so low after winning Idol, but then I had to take it easy on me and remember that I started my journey with Idol at 20 years old.”
Just Sam opened up about their life since winning Idol in a subsequent interview with TMZ, including realizing that the show wasn’t going to be their golden ticket out of a life of hardship.
“I thought, ‘That’s it, me and my grandmother will never experience the same struggles again,'” they told the outlet.
“And really, that’s not what it was,” Just Sam continued. It was also difficult because I was the only American Idol in history to win in the beginning of COVID and everything was shut down.”
They said producers and executives were reluctant to return to studios “right away” and people “were trying to figure out hot get back to whatever normal was going to be for us then.”
“It took a few months before I even got into a studio, which sucked. I was living out of a hotel,” they revealed.
They also alluded to landing in “sticky situations” after not taking the contracts they were signing seriously.
‘BE RESPECTFUL’
Last August, Just Sam told their followers they had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Admitting they had previously been worried about sharing their diagnosis “because I didn’t want people to use this against me”, Just Sam declared, “I honestly don’t care anymore.
“This has to be said,” they continued, urging their fans to “be mindful” and “be respectful” in conversations about mental health.
“You never ever know how much what you say can have an effect on someone. You never know how much what you say can hurt someone.”
