Adam Lambert Was Dropped From Good Morning America After His Controversial Performance The Night Before

When Adam Lambert auditioned for American Idol, he blew the judges away. He not only made it to Hollywood, but he made it to the final two in the season finale. Lambert lost to Kris Allen, but he more than made his mark.

Lambert launched his solo career with a controversial performance at the American Music Awards. It got him banned from Good Morning America the same week. Lambert would appear on The Early Show instead, but the program would only reinforce the double standard Lambert was experiencing at the time.

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Adam Lambert Becomes A Stand-Out On ‘American Idol’ As Photos From His Past Leak Online

During Lambert’s time on Idol, a mini-scandal erupted that placed a different kind of spotlight on the singer. Photos from an old social media profile began circulating online. The photos featured Lambert kissing an ex-boyfriend. Lambert had not publicly confirmed his sexuality at the time.

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“I was very comfortable and secure with who I was,” Lambert told People. “It was never a secret. During the live broadcast, there was no one asking me what my sexual preference was, and we weren’t allowed to do interviews during the show back then because they wanted to keep everyone on a level playing field.”

Related: Adam Lambert Finds Solace In Online Therapy Sessions, As The “Locked Down” Feeling Sets In

Lambert said that the backlash over the pictures made him feel “ashamed” of who he was for the first time. However, it ultimately made him stronger as a result. Lambert would come out publicly as gay in Rolling Stone as soon as his time on Idol ended.

Adam’s Performance At The American Music Awards Causes Controversy And He Gets Banned From ‘Good Morning America’

On November 22, 2009, Lambert took the stage at the American Music Awards. Lambert closed the show by performing “For Your Entertainment,” the first single and title track from his debut album.

“I was kind of sexy, and had dancers on stage, and I did a couple of suggestive moves with a couple of dancers, and an impromptu kiss with my bass player,” Lambert told Entertainment Weekly. “I was feeling it. Well, I got off stage and I got in trouble. The network was like, ‘How dare you?'”

Related: 10 Things Adam Lambert Has Been Up To Since ‘American Idol’

Following the performance, ABC received 1,500 telephoned complaints. The network canceled Lambert’s planned performance on Good Morning America the same week. They also canceled his planned appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

“They threatened me with a lawsuit,” he continued. “It was like, ‘Oh, okay, that’s where we’re at.’ I didn’t know. I’d been in a bubble in LA amongst artists, weirdos, and I didn’t realize that that kind of thing would ruffle feathers the way it did.”

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Lambert did get a last-minute booking on CBS’ The Early Show instead. During his appearance, Lambert sat down for an interview where he unapologetically defended his performance and called out the double standards gay male artists face.

The network proved his point when they showed an image of Madonna and Britney Spears’ kiss from the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, but blurred out Lambert’s kiss with his male bassist.

“We gave this some real thought. The Madonna image is very familiar and has appeared countless times including many times on morning television. The Adam Lambert image is a subject of great current controversy, has not been nearly as widely disseminated, and for all we know, may still lead to legal consequences,” said a spokesperson for The Early Show.

“The Early Show’s decision this morning to blur Adam Lambert’s kiss from the American Music Awards reinforces an unfortunate double standard that is applied to openly gay performers,” said Jarrett Barrios, former President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Adam Lambert Praises Lil Nas X For His Provocative Performance At The BET Awards

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Over a decade after Lambert’s controversial performance, Lil Nas X was causing controversy of his own. His single, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” made headlines for its music video, where he gives Satan a lap dance.

Lil Nas X went on to perform the song at the 2021 BET Awards, where he kissed his male backup dancer at the end of the performance.

According to Lil Nas X, he was only allowed to perform at the event after promising BET that he wasn’t a Satanist or devil worshiper. Members of his team told Rolling Stone that BET producers were disappointed with his performance. BET has denied the claims.

“They say that ‘no one cheered louder’ for me than them that night,” Lil Nas X said, “but the BET Awards team was actually very upset that I kissed my dancer onstage and vocalized their discontent with multiple members of my team immediately following the performance.”

Lambert, however, was genuinely cheering him on. He spoke to Billboard after the performance aired and praised Lil Nas X.

“I thought it was hot,” Lambert said with a laugh. “I mean, he’s really giving it to us. I think he is definitely like the gay pop star that is 2021 — he’s bold, he’s controversial, he’s pushing boundaries. That’s what we want our pop stars to do. It’s just taken this long to have it be a gay one.”

Related: What Really Happened Between Adam Lambert And Ex, Javi Costa Polo?

He added, “What I love right now with Lil Nas is we need him to be outspoken about it. He is in a position where that works for him, and he’s using it.”

Lambert also said that even though things have improved, the same double standard still exists.

“If it’s par for the course for a female pop star to put on a performance like that, then why can’t a gay male pop star do the same?” he said. “I hope that double standard is very clear to people.”