There have been many contestants on American Idol that you love to hate, but Danny Gokey? There is buzz circling the Internet about this contestant because people are saying that he is using the death of his wife to further his career. Kristen Baldwin at EW.com even went as far to say: “He is pimping the memory of his dead wife to get votes. It’s disgusting,” said Baldwin. “It’s really appalling the way that he has used her to get on the show and now to get votes. I’m not saying he didn’t love his wife. I’m not saying he’s not sad that she’s gone. But he’s clearly using his grief for his own advantage, and it’s gross.”

What does Gokey have to say about this issue himself?

“It’s only been seven months since she’s passed. This is who I am. It’s not that I throw it in people’s faces, but I get asked about it all the time, especially like right now. I’m talking about it at this point. It weighs on my mind a lot, though, because honestly, this is a sob story I don’t want,” Gokey explained. “I don’t want this story, but it is shaping my life and it’s causing hope for a lot of people, knowing that it’s causing hope for my life. I didn’t want to live any more after she passed.”

So is he pimping out his dead wife’s memory or not? You decide.