An Ex-Stripper On American Idol?

Wow a recent article on Boston Herald just announced that David Hernandez, one of the American Idol candidates, was in fact a stripper. Yum! However according to the article, “American Idol” producer Ken Warwick came out yesterday to assure contestant David Hernandez that his not-so-secret past as a male stripper doesn’t mean a thang.

Still bothers me somewhat though to see someone to be called the "American Idol" as a stripper - view inset image care of Votefortheworst.com. Although it does say anyone can succeed if you work hard. At least he had a job right? But is this kind of publicity going to help or ruin David Hernandez?

“The truth is we’re never judgmental about what people do to earn a living,” Ken Warwick told TVGuide.com yesterday. “They’ve gotta put food in people’s mouths.”

However, Warwick added, had Hernandez’s exotic past involved “some sort of heavy porn, then maybe we’d have to take action.”

It's a little inconsistent now that they're being lenient when in 2003 finalist Frenchie Davis was disqualified from the popular show because of her appearance on an adult Web site.

The Internet was abuzz this week after the manager of Dick’s Cabaret, a male strip club in Phoenix stepped forward to reveal the 24-year-old finalist from Glendale is one of his former dancers.

According to the strip joint’s manager Gordy Bryan, Hernandez was once an exotic dancer who gave his lap dance customers, who were “mostly male,” the Full Monty treatment.

Hernandez, who apparently didn’t share his vocal talents with the club’s clientele, worked at Dick’s for three years until September.

“He never renewed his licensing with the state, so he hasn’t been on my roster since then,” Bryan said, adding that he believes Hernandez quit to focus on his dream to become the next “American Idol.”


The news of Hernandez’ salacious past, along with scantily clad photos of young David working as a bartender at a gay club, first surfaced on “Idol” fan site VoteForTheWorst.com. For more of the gay bar images, go to VoteForTheWorst.com.