The Voice is back for season eight and Anthony Riley was an instant fan favorite during the blind auditions when he performed "I Got You (I Feel Good)" but fans were shocked when he announced he would be leaving the show. Riley was originally a member of Team Pharrell.
Philly.com reported that Riley left the show because he had to deal with personal and medical issues. “Unfortunately, I will be unable to continue my journey on ‘The Voice’ for season 8 due to medical reasons. Any other rumors are just that," said Riley in a statement.
Evan Shingle, Riley's attorney said that he did have performance-based anxiety and that was brought out during his time on the show. “And he turned to drugs to self-medicate. That trended into abuse," explained Shingle.
Shingle wanted to make it clear to fans of Riley that he was not fired from the show, Philly.com reported and that NBC has been understanding and is currently respecting the privacy of Riley while he goes through these issues.
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