American Idol Star's Addiction Nearly Ends His Marriage Until God Intervenes - Staff Picks

One American Idol star shares about how his addiction to porn nearly ended his marriage, until God intervened and changed his entire life.

Jason Castro tried out for American Idol in 2008. When he went on tour, Jason found himself in a lonely place. That’s when his secret porn addiction exploded.

“I was just looking at stuff every day, multiple times a day. This addiction was really bothering me. It was really bringing me down. It was keeping me depressed. I wasn’t sleeping at night. I would stay up all night out of shame,” he said. “I couldn’t stop.”

Jason was being consumed by porn, and this led him to cheating on his girlfriend and future wife, Mandy. He eventually told her about the incident and the porn, and she called off the relationship. But four months later, Mandy called Jason to discuss forgiveness, and soon their relationship was reconciled.

By 2010, the couple were married. And while Mandy threatened to leave Jason if he ever looked at porn again, he still couldn't stop chasing it.

“It eventually got to be too much,” he said. “I was a coward. I did not want to tell her.”

Eight months into their marriage, Mandy and Jason were invited to a support group at their church. This first meeting left Jason filled with hope for his situation.

“In people sharing their struggles, God really used it to reveal to me, and I think to everybody else. I think that’s how it works,” he shared.

Jason and Mandy keep going to these meetings, and eventually he confesses to his wife that he was still struggling with porn and asks for her forgiveness. He was able to find accountability in this community. And once Jason trusted God with his struggle, he felt free.

“I’ve done some things, but I’m able to be free of those things because of Jesus Christ. I am a free man.”

What a powerful testimony!