On Monday (June 8), sad news broke regarding the June 5 death of recent Voice contestant Anthony Riley: The talented Philadelphia singer’s death has been ruled a suicide.
People reports that the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Riley hanged himself in his Center City apartment. The 28-year-old dropped out of the Voice‘s most recent season to attend a two-week rehab program to overcome substance addiction.
‘The Voice’ Contestant Anthony Riley Dies at 28
Riley made a grand entrance on the NBC show, getting all four judges to turn their chairs around during his blind audition. He ultimately chose Pharrell Williams as his coach, before leaving the show when the busy schedule became too much.
Before joining the show, Riley was a popular street performer in his native Philadelphia.
“The city was his family,” his sister Halima Miley told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Everybody knew him, he couldn’t walk two steps without someone saying, ‘Anthony, how you doin’?’ The public loved him.”
She also told the Inquirer that a public memorial service will be held.
“We are sad over the passing of Anthony Riley,” an NBC rep said in a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter. “We offer our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this very difficult time.”