Justin Guarini, the first runner-up on the first season of "American Idol" in 2002, has opened up about the dark period that followed and why he now sees it as one of the best things that ever happened to him.
In his new book, Center Stage Confidence, Guarini says he learned RCA had dropped him in 2003 while watching a "Saturday Night Live" segment on TV. He describes months of isolation, during which he lost weight, slept more and became less like himself, and his loved ones began to worry.
His 2003 debut album reached the top 20 of the Billboard 200, but his film with Kelly Clarkson, "From Justin to Kelly," flopped, and the criticism continued.
The turning point came when he stopped hasing fame. He went back to singing wherever he could, from galas to state fairs. After releasing his second album independently in 2005, he made his Broadway debut in 2010. He later appeared in "American Idiot," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Wicked," and he has played Lil' Sweet in Diet Dr Pepper ads since 2015.
His advice after nearly 25 years is simple: "stay in the game," do good work and be kind to people.
His story is a reminder that a season of loss can still lead to renewal and purpose.
