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Anthony Riley Dead: ‘The Voice’ Contestant, 28, Dies From Suspected Suicide
So sad. Anthony Riley, who competed on Season 8 of ‘The Voice,’ was found dead on Friday, June 5, from a suspected suicide, a new report claims. He was just 28 years old.
Anthony Riley, a street performer who was featured on Season 8 of The Voice, was reportedly found dead in the basement of a Philadelphia apartment where he was staying. The 28-year-old died from a suspected suicide, the new report claims.
Anthony left the series to deal with substance abuse issues, the Philadelphia Inquirer claims, but it’s not clear if that had anything to do with his passing.
Anthony, who had been performing on the streets of Philadelphia for the last several years, found stardom on The Voice in January 2015. Anthony performed James Brown‘s “I Got You (I Feel Good)” for his audition, and all four judges — Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Pharrell Williams — immediately turned their chairs around. In fact, it was the quickest they had ever turned around for a contestant. Anthony ended up picking Pharrell as his coach, but after winning the first battle of the NBC series, Anthony told producers he was battling substance abuse issues. He then left the show to enter a rehab facility in Philadelphia. (Watch his audition above.)
“It’s tough, because everyone’s just finding out and I’ve been moving forward,” Anthony told the Inquirer in March. At that point, he said he had completed the rehabilitation program and was working on an album.
Anthony’s memorial will be open to the public. “Everybody knew him,” his older sister, Halima Miley, told the Inquirer. “He couldn’t walk two steps without someone saying, ‘Anthony, how you doin’?'”
A rep from The Voice tells HollywoodLife.com: “We are sad over the passing of Anthony Riley. We offer our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this very difficult time.”
Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide is urged to call the 24-hour Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK, or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Our thoughts go out to Anthony Riley’s family and friends during this difficult time. This is so sad.
— Chris Rogers
