NEW YORK (AP) — Although Fantasia has garnered her share of sympathy, there are skeptics who are suspicious about the timing of her latest drama.
Two weeks ago, after being named as the other woman in a bitter divorce case, the former "American Idol" champ took a mixture of aspirin and sleeping pills. She was hospitalized for three days.
Since then, she has confessed in a "Behind the Music" special to a suicide attempt, taped new footage for her VH1 reality show and tearfully talked about her tribulations on ABC's "Good Morning America" — all while promoting her third album, "Back to Me," which was released this week.
Her manager, Brian Dickens, said there was no talk of delaying the album — the only question was whether Fantasia would be up to promoting it — "was she able to handle it."
"Things that have been misconstrued in the media is that this was a publicity stunt, and that is in no way shape or form true," Dickens said.
Once she decided to push forward, the 26-year-old singer continued with plans to publicize the album.
She shrugs in frustration at the suggestion that the attempted suicide was a publicity stunt. She's been criticized before, but it still gets her down.
That is not a satisfying picture.
