ABC Threatened Adam Lambert With Lawsuit After Same-Sex Kiss At 2009 AMAs

Adam Mitchel Lambert rose to fame in 2009 as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol. He is known for his dynamic vocal performances that blend his theatrical training with modern and classic genres. Lambert recently claimed that ABC threatened him with a lawsuit after a same-sex kiss at the 2009 AMAs.

Adam Lambert recently revealed that his same-sex kiss at the 2009 American Music Awards sparked outrage among viewers. He revealed that he was also on the verge of a lawsuit from the network that aired the show.

During his acceptance speech at the 2023 Creative Coalition Spotlight Initiative Gala on Saturday, the “American Idol” alum reflected on the homophobia he faced in the early days of his career. Lambert said it came to a head following the “impromptu kiss.”

The “Whataya Want from Me” singer was honored for his role in the Sundance Film Festival drama “Fairyland.” He admitted he was “in a lot of trouble” with ABC right away.

I did the kind of performance I’d seen since I was a teenager. I was like, I want to be sexy and have dancers on stage, and I did a couple of suggestive moves with some of my dancers and an impromptu kiss with my bass player. I was feeling it.

The network was like, ‘How dare you?’ They banned me for a while. They threatened me with a lawsuit. I was like, ‘Oh, OK, that’s where we’re at.’ I didn’t know. I lived in a bubble in LA amongst artists and weirdos, and I didn’t realize that kind of thing ruffled feathers the way it did.

Lambert realized he was a “part of something new” that could “effect change,” so he decided to embrace his sexuality fully in order to be visible to other members of the LGBTQIA+ community. “I’m going to be as gay as I f–king can be and be flamboyant and be wild and if it gets me into trouble, it gets me into trouble. I’m not going to back down from it.”

Cody Fern, who co-stars with Lambert in “Fairyland,” a 1970s to 1980s coming-of-age drama about a teen girl with gay fathers, presented him with the award. Lambert also stated that his family’s ties to San Francisco, where the film is set, made the role even more appealing to him. Keep an eye on Thirsty for more.

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