After Leaving The Voice Amid Custody Battle, Team Reba Contestant Sounds Off
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The Top 9 are set to perform when The Voice resumes on December 11, but there’s one artist whose journey on Season 24 was cut short, when he left the show ahead of the Playoffs for “personal reasons.” After opening up about the custody battle he was fighting at home, Tom Nitti has taken to social media with another message to Reba McEntire, his teammates on The Voice and the fans for the support he’s received
Tom Nitti was a one-chair turn for Reba McEntire in the Blind Auditions, singing “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours).” He went on to win his Battle and then was saved by the queen of country in the Knockouts. Before the next round, he was revealed to be gone, and after viewers learned that his exit was related to his contentious divorce and maintaining custody of his two children, they threw their support behind the singer. Nitti showed his gratitude on Instagram, writing:
Thank you everyone for the support. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. I walked the road of my dream for a bit and loved every minute of it. I’m also quite certain I’m where [I] need to be right now. I ain’t ever giving up on this dream and my two kids know that. Without a doubt in my mind, I know they’re just as proud of me as I am of them. ‘If you’re gonna love somebody, hold them as long and as strong and as close as you can, till you can’t.’
The quote at the end of his post was in reference to the song “‘Til You Can’t,” which he sang in the The Voice’s Battles. Tom Nitti opened up to the Utica Observer-Dispatch about his exit from the competition, clarifying that he didn't go on the show knowing he would be bowing out early. He’d been forced to make a fast decision, which ended up being the “hardest yet easiest” thing he’d ever done, since he gave up this huge opportunity, but it was for the sake of his kids. “I chose my family,” he told the publication.
Tom Nitti was originally supposed to be on The Voice last season, but he said he deferred to Season 24 to give himself enough time to request a leave of absence from the NYPD (his employer). When the pre-recorded rounds for this season were filming, however, Nitti found himself in the middle of a contentious divorce. After being saved in the Knockouts, the contestant revealed that his lawyers were urging him to come home, because his ex-wife was trying to gain primary custody of their kids.
He addressed his absence the day after Reba McEntire made her Playoff picks, writing in a lengthy Instagram post that read, in part:
As much as it absolutely stings to say, I had to make probably one of the hardest yet easiest decisions ever and ultimately at the end of the day, my kids will always come first and if I had to make the same decision again I’d do it over and over.
You can see his full post below:
A post shared by Tom Nitti (@tomnittimusic)
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Tom Nitti will never know what might have been, had he stayed on The Voice, but one big benefit that came from the experience is that he can now count Reba McEntire as one of his contacts. The newest coach of The Voice revealed that she’s been in contact with the singer since he left, telling ET:
We've been emailing back and forth and all of our hearts went out to him 'cause he couldn't finish the competition. He is so strong, so good. He's gonna be watching and cheering all of us on, but our hearts are with him.
From the looks of his social media, he still seems to be in contact with a number of Season 24 contestants, and given he did what he did for his children, there can be no regrets when it comes to that. Tune in to see the contestants still vying for the prize, as the Top 9 perform in the Semifinals at 8 p.m. ET Monday, December 11, on NBC, with the results of America’s vote being revealed at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, December 12. Episodes are also available to stream the next day with a Peacock subscription.
