American Idol Winner Ruben Studdard Owes $200,000 In Back Taxes
August 28th, 2008
Wow, Ruben Studdard. First you experienced a stall in your music career; then you got dropped from your label; now this.
According to a story by BusinessSheet.com, Studdard is in hock with the U.S. government for $200,000 in back taxes that they allege he never paid. The taxes stretch back to both 2003 and 2005, when Studdard was arguably at the height of his career - that is, just after he managed to edge out Clay Aiken for the title of American Idol.
The timing is especially bad, as Studdard was trying to stay afloat with his money by opening up a new nightclub. His reps say he has more than enough cash to cover the taxes, but will that cash also cover his six-figure nightclub deal as well? We’ll have to wait and see, I guess. Either way, the skies are looking pretty cloudy for the singer.