Poor Fantasia. The erstwhile American Idol champion won fans and hearts on season three of that show with her squeaky, unusual voice and around-the-way appeal. Still, she was relatively public with her personal struggles, and then commercial breakout success didn't really follow, either.
Recently, she attempted a comeback through realty television, a half-hour series on VH1 called Fantasia For Real. It attempted to chronicle her return to making music, but it depressed more than anything thanks to its documentation of her stride-ridden family relationships.
Things haven't gotten much better. Two nights ago, the star was hospitalized after an overdose on aspirin and sleeping pills, according to a representative who spoke with TMZ. And as with so many tawdry celeb stories, there's a Miami connection.
A week ago, according to CNN, a North Carolina woman named Paula Cook filed divorce proceedings against her husband, Antwaun Cook, asking for various forms of financial support. The allegations: He had been involved with Fantasia for over a year, and the pair had even recorded their liaisons.
Further (alleged proof): For months, Fantasia has publicly sported a visible tattoo on her shoulder reading "Cook." Cook's wife also alleges that Fantasia harrassed her by phone, interrupting conversations with her husband to say things like, "Maybe the next time you get a husband you'll know how to keep him."
Meanwhile, Fantasia (again allegedly) flew Cook, a T-Mobile store employee, all over the hemisphere to continue the affair, including frequent stops in Barbados, Atlanta, L.A., New York, and, of course, Miami.
The media attention and stress from the news led to Fantasia's overdose, her rep told TMZ. Here's the official statement in its entirety:
Fantasia has always been an open book. Honesty, self-respect, and personal responsibility are values she wears proudly.
Fantasia believed Mr. Cook when he told her he was not happy in his marriage and his heart was not in it. She believed him when he told her he and Mrs. Cook separated in the late summer of 2009. She believed Mr. Cook when he told her he lived elsewhere.
It saddens us when women don't do their due diligence. Still, of course we wish Fantasia a speedy recovery.
