Viral ‘American Idol’ alum William Hung’s marriage ended over gambling addiction: I was ‘greedy’

nypost.com:

famously sang Ricky Martin’s 2000 song during his audition in January 2004, recently opened up about his secret gambling problem.His downfall began when he quit his job three years ago to become a professional poker player.“I’d been doing it on the side for a while, and I decided maybe I was good enough to go for it,” he told People. “I was earning way more doing that than I was at my regular job.

It was going well for a while.”However, he ultimately developed an addiction and fell into the world of sports betting.“I know better [now].

I wasn’t supposed to do those things, but I did it anyway,” he said, calling himself “greedy.”“And I paid for it. I got divorced, and I learned I had to be smart about which risks I chose to take.”After his stint on the singing competition, the Hong Kong native dropped out of Berkeley to launch a music career.“I had my moment at the top,” he recalled. “My first album, ‘Inspiration,’ was the No.

1 independent album on the Billboard charts.”But after a few TV gigs and time in the limelight, public affection started to wane and he went back to school to finish his degree.“There’s nothing wrong with having a steady job after fame,” he stated. “I think it’s the right thing to do, to provide for my family now.”Hung then scored a job as a data analyst in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.