Season 18 “American Idol” winner Samantha Diaz, known to many fans as “Just Sam,” is thankful for the “Goodness of God” after getting through a year of major ups and downs, including multiple hospitalizations in December 2024. Despite the hardships Diaz has faced, the soulful singer is sharing gratitude for beginning the new year by singing at church.
Diaz posted an Instagram video on January 7, 2025 — filmed during their performance of the 2019 contemporary Christian hit “Goodness of God” — and wrote, “Ended 2024 in church where my voice belongs — Singing for the lord. Grateful for this voice that God has blessed me with and im grateful that no matter what life throws at me, God gets me through it.”
“Sickness, depression and any evil of this earth stands no chance against the Goodness of God,” Diaz concluded.
In an Instagram Story also posted on January 7, with J Moss’s “God’s Got It” as background music, Diaz vulnerably wrote, “It doesn’t matter what I’m going through or what my situation looks like . I will always trust that God is working things out for my good. People have lied and let me down time and time again, but God will never fail me.”
Samantha ‘Just Sam’ Diaz Asked Followers to ‘Pray for Me’ in December
Diaz has been open about struggling with physical and mental health challenges since winning “Idol.” In August 2023, the singer shared in since-deleted Instagram posts that they’d been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and had also been hospitalized multiple times for an undisclosed condition, but providing some insight into the pain of it.
In one post, Diaz wrote, “Adult diapers are comfortable asf don’t get me wrong!! But I am just really tired of getting my period every week of every month . I am tired of the pain and the cramps . I’m tired of the misdiagnoses, malpractice & the stupid medication that they try to put me on. “Being in pain every day, but smiling/ laughing through it .. it’s so draining NGL”
Diaz’s medical challenges were an issue at the end of 2024, too. On January 2, the former “Idol” winner posted an Instagram Story that said, “I spent most of December in and out of the hospital and on bed rest. I decided to take a break from Instagram, but I’m back now. Happy new year”
One month prior, on December 1, Diaz posted another update in their Instagram Stories, writing, “I just spent the last two days in and out of the hospital and let me just say … I was very taken care of and I’m feeling ok now, but now I have to take it easy 😢🙌🏾🙌🏾 I’m ok, but pray for me and better health”
Fans Want ‘Idol’ Alum Jennifer Hudson to Invite Samantha Diaz on Her Show
In 2020, competing from a hotel room as the pandemic raged, Diaz became the show’s first LGBTQ+ and nonbinary winner, according to the Washington Post. With the world shut down for months and no one to advise the soulful singer on the music business, Diaz left behind a record deal that came with the “Idol” win, unaware of the financial ramifications of backing out on the contract, the singer told TMZ in 2023.
Back in Harlem and trying make ends meet, Diaz eventually returned to busking in the New York subway system to make money. Videos taken by passersby have led to new exposure for the “Idol” winner, with many people wishing they could find a way to help.
Some celebrities have expressed interest in helping the singer make a comeback, including JaRule on the “Tamron Hall Show” in January 2024. Diaz also finally got to sing on the “Idol” stage during a touching comeback moment on the show that April.
But the interest and exposure that’s come over the last year hasn’t yet produced any sustainable momentum for Diaz. Some fans now want “American Idol” alum Jennifer Hudson to help the singer.
The January 7 video of Diaz’s church performance generated over 30,000 views within a few hours and many fans tagged Hudson, begging her to invite Diaz on her talk show or take the singer under her wing, including one who wrote, “@jenniferhudsonshow we need @samanthadiaz on ur show ♥️♥️♥️♥️”
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