The days of fending off fans are long behind American Idol alum Justin Guarini — but the singer is definitely not destitute. The 34-year-old married father of two revealed that his life nowadays is a far cry from his previous Hollywood days in a blog post on his website on Wednesday, Aug. 14, leading to reports about his family's dire straits.
"News isn't news anymore, and I'm nowhere near poverty," he tweeted on Thursday, Aug. 15, addressing reports that the Idol runner-up was in a bad financial state.
On Wednesday, the Idol alum wrote a revealing blog post about his life more than 10 years after his reality show experience.
"I have spent days skipping meals in order to make sure I have enough," he wrote in the brutally honest entry. "To make sure my children, and my wife have enough." (The site has since been taken down.)
In 2002, Guarini lost out to Kelly Clarkson on the first season of the hit Fox singing competition. The pair remained friends and even costarred in 2003 film From Justin to Kelly, but the Idol alums' paths diverged from there on out.
While Clarkson, 31, cemented herself into the pop music hall of fame with many nominations and wins for her five studio albums plus blockbuster record sales, Guarini's own star failed to take off following his debut album in 2003. RCA Records dropped him six months after its release.
"There was a time when I could have thrown down cash for a house, and had any number of lovers in and out the door," he wrote. "A flashy car and clothes to match. An ego to trump them all. Now I rent a home filled with love."
"I have a wife whom I love and who loves me (me!) and who lifts me up," he continued. "Children who give me cherubic-lipped kisses before I leave for work and who are the most delicious morsels of joy and peace and prosperity."
Guarini tied the knot with his high school classmate Reina Capodici in 2009, and the couple have two children — William Neko Bell, 2, and Asher, 5 months. Capodici also has one daughter, 8-year-old Lola, from a previous relationship.
"I'm unafraid to say that I am terrified. I am struggling to make each day meet the next without breaking down and curling up," he wrote. "Sometimes I envy people who sit at a desk all day (at least you know where your next meal is coming from). …I am unafraid to be afraid, and in that fear I gather strength."
Since his movement away from the spotlight, Guarini has switched gears, focusing instead on an acting and stage career. He will next perform alongside Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad in an upcoming Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet.
