The award for creating a tempest in the American Idol teapot this season goes to David Hernandez. The 24-year-old contestant has worked as a male stripper in Phoenix for three years, according to a published report on TVGuide.com.
But Hernandez’s, um, nude background isn’t grounds for kicking him off Fox’s megahit reality program, the show’s executive producer told the website.
“The truth is we’re never judgmental about what people do to earn a living. They’ve gotta put food in people’s mouths,” Idol’s executive producer, Ken Warwick, told TVGuide.com. “If it were some sort of heavy porn, then maybe we’d have to take action. But certainly not on this.”
Male strip club
The Associated Press quoted Gordy Bryan, the manager of Dick’s Cabaret where Hernandez, a native of Glendale, Arizona, reportedly worked as saying, “He had the look and the type that people like, so he made pretty good money here.” Bryan also told AP that Hernandez appeared fully nude and performed lap dances for the club’s “mostly male” clientele.
Hernandez has not removed his shirt while performing during the current season of Idol. Not yet. Not yet.
TVGuide.com asked Warwick if he’s spoken to Hernandez since the news broke. Warwick was sanguine: “I haven't actually seen him today but I'm not worried about it. The thing is, at the end, the public will make the decision anyway. If there's a stretch of the public that thinks, "Oh, dear, he was a male stripper, so I'm not going to vote for him," then that's the luck of the draw. If the public doesn't like him, then they'll get rid of him.”
Idol scandals revisited
An affair to remember? Corey Clark who claimed he’d been intimate with Paula Abdul.
Frenchie Davis was tossed from Idol after pictures of her on an adult site surfaced. Meanwhile a fresh-faced Antonella Barba stayed in the game despite saucy photos of her circulating on the web.
Idol Gives Back on April 9
Also this week Fox announced that its second charity event Idol Gives Back will take place on April 9. The stellar lineup includes Bono, Brad Pitt, Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, and Carrie Underwood. John Legend, Mariah Carey, Annie Lennox, Reese Witherspoon, and Snoop Dogg are also scheduled to perform. Fox will release more names in the coming weeks. It promises to be a spectacular bash.
Last year the star-studded fundraiser raised $76-million (USD) to benefit children in Africa and throughout the U.S.
