DevOUT

A raw and powerful coming-out story from the beloved American Idol finalist traces David Archuleta’s journey from closeted Mormon teen to global pop star to openly queer man, revealing the hidden pressures of fame, the weight of religious expectations, and the courage it takes to live authentically.

 

People magazine - here

 

 At just seventeen, David Archuleta rose to national fame as the runner-up on American Idol season seven, captivating millions with his angelic voice. Behind the scenes, however, he was struggling with a truth he feared would destroy everything: he was attracted to men—and a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

 

In DEVOUT, David takes you inside his deeply personal journey as a closeted Mormon teen turned international pop star, torn between faith, fame, and identity. From dealing with the pressures of being on a hit television show to a domineering father who controlled every aspect of his career—even being banned from the show’s set—David reveals the emotional abuse and inner turmoil that he says plagued his childhood. 

 

This searing memoir reflects on David’s ventures with American Idol, a tour with Demi Lovato, and a two-year sabbatical as a missionary in South America, charting his path through heartbreak, estrangement, three engagements, thoughts of suicide, and finally, his courageous decision to leave the Mormon Church in order to live authentically as a queer man. Featuring never-before-seen photos, DEVOUT is a must-read for fans of pop culture, American Idol, and anyone deconstructing their religious upbringing, or who’s ever wrestled with who they are versus who they’re told to be.

 

“A lot of people who saw teenage David on TV thought they knew me. In DEVOUT, I share that there was a lot more going on behind the scenes than many realized—with me, with my family, and with the show. I had to recondition almost everything I learned or was taught to believe, and that process can be challenging. This is a story about finding courage within yourself during your absolute darkest moment to persevere and become who you truly are.”

 

 

Watching David come into his own—embracing love, owning his truth, and standing fully in the beauty of who he is—has been one of the most inspiring transformations

I’ve ever seen. He reminds us all that our greatest gift is not just our talent, but the willingness to be unapologetically ourselves.” – Paula Abdul

 

And David will hit the road on a seven-city book tour beginning February 17 in New York at 92NY (See All Book Tour Dates Below).  Each event will include a Q&A discussion as well as autograph signing with the purchase of the book.  In addition, David will also release a 3-song EP of new music written specifically about themes in the book.  The DEVOUT EP will be available only thru the purchase of the audiobook HERE which will also be released on February 17, 2026.

David shares more on the Devout EP - Since this book is looking back at the prequel of my life as it is for me today, I wanted to go back to the feel of how I approached music as a young musician trying to figure out himself, and how younger David approached his life or felt like he had to approach his life with music. The songs are a bit more raw, more vocally focused, and really about telling the story to complement the story I tell in my memoir.    The focus track from the EP is “Old and Young” HERE – “Old and Young” is a song about the state of limbo you feel you're in after going through a big life change. We don't see things the same way as we once did. You've gotten so much older but yet are starting a completely new chapter of life so you feel like a baby in terms of experience and knowing what to do. In the process you realize you don't have to be perfect and that you are human.” 

Book Tour Dates

Tuesday, February 17 – New York City at 92NY @ 7:30 pm

(W/DEVOUT collaborator Valerie Frankel) - Ticket Link

 

Wednesday, February, 18 – Boston at WBUR City Space @ 7:00 pm (w/Amory Sivertson) - Ticket Link

 

Thursday, February 19 – Chicago at Barbara’s Bookstore at Macy’s on State Street @ 6:00 pm –

(Please note this event is a meet & greet and signing only.  No Q&A)  Ticket Link

 

Friday, February 20 – St. Louis at Clayton High School Theatre @ 7:00 pm (w/Shane Mullen) - Ticket Link

 

Monday, February 23 – Austin, TX at Book People @ 7:00 pm (W/Johnny Sibilly) - Ticket Link

 

Tuesday, February 24 -  Salt Lake City at Utah Museum of Fine Arts @ 7:00 pm (W/Jessi Draper of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) - Ticket Link

 

Wednesday, February 25 – Los Angeles at Barnes & Noble/The Grove at Farmer’s Market @ 7:00 pm (w/Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons) - Ticket Link

Follow David Here:

TikTok 1.2M Followers + 21M Likes

Instagram 810K Followers 

Facebook 3.4M Followers

YouTube 900k Subscribers 

Spotify 2.7M monthly listeners

Twitter 1.1M Followers 

Michael's Musings

If I Was King For Just One Day, I Would Give It All Away
Michael Shinafelt

"I've heard it said or maybe read

Only money makes the world go round
But all the gold won't heal your soul (won't heal your soul)
If your world should tumble to the ground

You say you hunger
For something, you can't get at all
And love is not enough anymore" - Thompson Twins, King For A Day

Fear is boring. Just f#cking go for it, the more you know...

Blocking someone on Social Media isn't enough. They must have lice and crabs too!

Pro Tip: You can say saucy jizz instead of sausages and no one will ever notice, that's all

My dream is to go to a wedding where someone says: NO

I'm going to be wet for hours, think about it, but not too much

Should you happen to fall down drunk pretend you did it to make a snow angel

FYI I read banned books, and aren't you happy???

Seeing Sam Raimi's Send Help tomorrow, I can't wait for his return to the genre that made him famous: Horror 

Woman Crush of the Week - Olivia Wilde, for having two Sundance darlings. Starring in Greg Araki's I Want Your Sex as a dom and directing and starring in The Invite. Way to go!

Disliking me is valid. I probably confronted you on your poor behavior while everyone else just accepted it. You know who you are...

Got a new tattoo on my right forearm, it says: "Tomorrow is never promised"

Punk Rock was right about everything!!!

Remember when you could strangle people with your phone? Those were the days.

No where did I put that?

Help me find it here:

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en

https://bsky.app/profile/michaelshinafelt.bsky.social

https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelshinafelt   

Hump Day & Chill

Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi

 “He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

In case you haven't heard there's a new version of Wuthering Heights hitting theaters February 13th. Not so coincidentally in time for Valentine's Day.

It stars Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi, and is written and directed by Emerald Fennell. She's the filmmaker responsible for one of my favorite films Saltburn.

Thus here we have Margot & Jacob hitting the road to promote their joint venture in a sporty convertible.

Hey, it doesn't get anymore Hump Day & Chill than this! 

Let's say it's Hump Day & Chill at it's coolest, that's all.

Wuthering Heights on IMDb -

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32897959/

Marked Safe

Indeed...

Gaslighting on Psychology Today -

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/gaslighting   

The More You Know...

Sharon Tate

Sharon Tate had what would have been her 83rd Birthday on January 24. I came across this cool piece of history yesterday on the WWW. "Yes" it's a behind the scenes shot of Tate as Jennifer North in Valley of the Dolls.

Here are some of her thoughts on being in the movie:  

• Strategic Career Move: Tate recognized the film's commercial potential, stating it was a, "smash box office success" that achieved exactly what it intended to do.
• Connection to Character: She found Jennifer North to be the most compelling character in the novel, expressing sympathy for her, and noted that "there are many Jennifers in the world".
• Professional Growth: Despite the film's later reputation, she was glad to have made it, but expressed a desire for a change in roles afterward.
• Critique of Hollywood: During that era, she felt pressured by the industry's tendency to view her only as a "sexpot" or "piece of merchandise". 

Valley of the Dolls served as a pivotal, albeit controversial, role in her career, showcasing her ability to play complex, albeit tragic, characters. 

The more you know...

Sharon Tate on Wikipedia -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Tate  

Agnes Moorehead Is God

Agnes Moorehead
as
Endora

Here's a little bit of Hollywood History you most likely haven't heard about. It's the infamous graffiti: "Agnes Moorehead Is God"

For those of you who are unfamiliar Ms. Moorehead is best know for her role of Endora, mother to Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha Stephens on Bewitched. I have included her photo above.

Here is the 411 on the graffiti via Vintage Los Angeles:

"In 1986, a block and a half north of Hollywood Blvd, on Vine St., was a concrete wall, bordering a parking lot, with barbed wire across the top. Sprayed in sprawling jagged letters across this wall was the announcement, “AGNES MOOREHEAD IS GOD.” A play on Clapton Is God.

For those who are new to this, this was originally put up by an unknown person in the early 80s between the old Ontra cafeteria and the Hollywood palace (now the Avalon) . Certainly inspired by the Agnes Moorehead walk of fame star which is right out front.



During that period people from the parking lot and anti-graffiti vigilantes would paint over it. Then fans would restore it. This went on for many years in many colors"

Agnes Moorehead on Wikipedia -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Moorehead

Westworld

On February 24, Arrow Video presents the blockbuster science fiction western Westworld in its global 4K UHD debut. Director and writer Michael Crichton (author of the bestselling novel Jurassic Park) thrilled and scared viewers with what technology can do at an immersive amusement park. The Limited Edition release features a brand new 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films, hours of special features, and newly commissioned extras. There is also a Blu-ray release.

Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin, Love at First Bite) and John Blane (James Brolin, The Amityville Horror) visit the futuristic Delos resort, which allows guests to fully experience life in medieval times, the Roman era, and the American West. Martin and Blane choose to be cowboys in Westworld, ready for a rip-roaring escape from reality. What sets Westworld apart from a family-friendly theme park like Disneyland’s Frontierland is that its employees are androids, designed to be fully indulged by the guests. The android locals won’t shoot back in a duel or resist being taken to bed. This proves useful as Martin and Blane repeatedly fire their six-shooters at The Gunslinger (Yul Brynner, The Magnificent Seven) to sharpen their showdown skills. It’s the holiday of a lifetime until something goes wrong with the park’s computer programming. Suddenly, the androids are no longer subservient to the humans. Can the duo survive the Old West when fantasy becomes reality and the Gunslinger finally draws on them?

Special features include a 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible); the original restored lossless 4-channel stereo, 2.0 stereo, and 1.0 mono audio options and an optional remixed 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround audio; optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing; a brand new audio commentary; a newly filmed conversation between actor Richard Benjamin and producer/screenwriter Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood); brand new video interviews with actor James Brolin and producer Paul N. Lazarus III; a brand new video appreciation; an archival behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film; the pilot episode of the television series Beyond Westworld; the theatrical trailer; image gallery; a perfect bound booklet; double-sided fold-out poster; and six postcard-sized artcards.

Watch the trailer for Westworld here: https://youtu.be/ojDtMkYII_M?si=rSYpqv1nOO-LJdHa

Order Here: https://customers.mvdb2b.com/b2b/s/AV804