The Voice’s former contestant Anthony Riley was found dead at the age of 28 in the basement of an apartment where he had been staying.
On Monday, the medical examiner’s office in Philadelphia said that the death was a suicide by hanging.
Riley was a contestant on the eighth season of NBC’s The Voice, where he impressed the judges after performing James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good).” According to Philly.com, he left the show in January to enter a rehab program in order to deal with his ongoing struggle with substance abuse.
“One of the reasons I’m proud of being of a Philadelphian is that we all have our own struggle, no matter what you do, no matter how far down you go, you can always make a comeback,” said Riley about his decision on leaving the show. “I just hope someone hears this message. It’s not worth pursuing anything other than your dreams.”
NBC issued a statement saying, “We are sad over the passing of Anthony Riley. We offer our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this very difficult time.”
