A memoir from Utah singer David Archuleta is in the works, his publicists have announced.
The 33-year-old Archuleta has signed a deal to write a memoir with Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, according to an announcement Thursday. No release date has been announced.
In a statement, Archuleta said, “through encouragement from friends, I’ve decided it’s important to share my story. I hope it will help others understand the struggles those in the LGBTQ+ community have coming out in religious communities, provide light to anyone navigating difficult family dynamics or faith transitions, and encourage everyone to give more room to love yourself.”
The book, the announcement said, “will reveal, for the first time, the truth of his struggles growing up as a devout Mormon, achieving worldwide fame as a teen on ‘American Idol,’ his choice to halt his music career to go on a mission in Chile, and his lifesaving decision to come out and live authentically.”
The entertainment trade publication The Hollywood Reporter first reported on the book deal Thursday.
Other books recently released by Dey Street include memoirs by such celebrities as actors Pamela Anderson and Jada Pinkett Smith, musician Dave Grohl, talk-show host Kelly Ripa and socialite Paris Hilton.
It will be Archuleta’s second memoir. In 2010, at age 19 and amid his early fame, Archuleta wrote “Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song and the Power of Perseverance.”
Archuleta recently performed on all three stops of the LoveLoud music festival — in Salt Lake City, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas. Last year, he released the singles “Afraid To Love,” “I’m Yours” and “Up.” Last spring, he placed second on Fox’s “The Masked Singer.” He launched 2024 with an appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade.
Archuleta also has been open about his experience, and the struggles with his identity and faith, on his social media platforms, such as TikTok.
At the LoveLoud Festival’s Salt Lake City stop, Archuleta told the Delta Center crowd, “It’s not always the easiest journey, especially when we come from a background of faith ... when you just finally have the courage to say, ‘You know what? Maybe this is who I am, no matter how much I try, and no matter how hard, how long, I try to change that. Maybe I just have to embrace and learn how to love who I am.’”
