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SAMANTHA Diaz has given fans a heartbreaking update as they announced the death of their dog in an emotional video.
The Season 18 American Idol winner, known by their stage name Just Sam, is mourning the death of their pitbull terrier Jaxson after a “reckless driver” tragically killed the dog.
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“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.”
Read More on American Idol
“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.”
Just Sam, who won the 2020 season of American Idol, told their followers “I miss my sweet boy like crazy” three months after Jaxson was run over.
Their followers rushed to the comments to offer their condolences, with one person writing, “Sorry for your loss, our pets are family and are the best companions in the world.
“When we lose them, our hearts are shattered, it hurts so bad.”
Another fan, who experienced a similar tragedy, wrote, “My heart goes out to you. I lost a beloved dog fur baby by a reckless driver too. The pain is real and I am so sorry.”
“Ugh this is so sad!” a third comment read. “I’m sure Jaxson is guiding and with you every step of the way.”
Just Sam subsequently addressed “anyone who has experienced this or something similar” in a message on their Instagram Stories, writing, “We are not alone in feeling this pain.”
“It means the world to me to have people reaching out to me, letting me know that I’m not crazy for feeling this way,” they captioned a photo of Jaxson and his “best friend” Zoe.
They also posted a throwback video of Zoe and Jaxson playing with each other, with the caption, “I can’t stop looking at our memories which makes me cry every time…”
Who are the past American Idol winners?
The previous American Idol winners include:
Kelly Clarkson (2002)
Ruben Studdard (2003)
Fantasia Barrino (2004)
Carrie Underwood (2005)
Taylor Hicks (2006)
Jordin Sparks (2007)
David Cook (2008)
Kris Allen (2009)
Lee DeWyze (2010)
Scotty McCreery (2011)
Phillip Phillips (2012)
Candice Glover (2013)
Caleb Johnson (2014)
Nick Fradiani (2015)
Trent Harmon (2016)
Maddie Poppe (2018)
Laine Hardy (2019)
Just Sam (2020)
Chayce Beckham (2021)
Noah Thompson (2022)
Iam Tongi (2023)
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.”
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