'Voice' Ex-Contestant Ryan Gallagher Denies Breaching COVID-19 ...

Former “The Voice” contestant Ryan Gallagher, who abruptly left the singing competition show, is disputing the nature of his exit and says he did not break the rules implemented during the pandemic.

According to a joint statement from NBC and MGM, which called Gallagher a talented artist, the contestant had to be ejected after violating the show’s protocols. The nature of the breach was not specified.

“Ryan is a talented artist, however ‘The Voice’ has strict COVID protocols in place to secure a safe set for our crew, coaches and contestants,” per the statement. “We were made aware of a breach in those protocols, and after examining the situation, and out of abundance of caution, we determined that Ryan could not participate in our Monday night show without potentially putting others at risk. Therefore, we made the difficult decision to remove Ryan from the competition.”

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But Gallagher’s representatives say that the singer, whose mother was recently hospitalized with the coronavirus, would not have knowingly breached “The Voice” rules.

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“Last Sunday November 29 my client Ryan Gallagher, who was a leading contender as part of Kelly Clarkson’s team on the current season of NBC-TV’S ‘The Voice,’ was dismissed by NBC and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios for an alleged violation of the show’s COVID-19 protocol,” said Michael Catalano, Gallagher’s personal manager, in a statement shared with Variety, adding, “In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth.”

“Ryan understands all too well how serious the COVID-19 pandemic is in this country and around the world,” he added. “In fact, recently Ryan’s mother in Michigan was hospitalized with COVID-19 and was in ICU for three weeks. It was a scary time for Ryan and his family and he certainly would not knowingly put anyone at risk by not adhering to the show’s COVID-19 policy.”

In a Nov. 16 Instagram post, Gallagher shared that he had flown back to Michigan a few weeks prior to visit his mother. It is unclear whether the trip was related to his ouster.

Catalano claims that there is “more to the story here than the show has announced,” and said that Gallagher, who is “devastated by the show’s dismissal,” will respond further “at an appropriate time and place.”

“Ryan is so touched by the massive outpouring of support he has received from thousands of viewers who were hugely disappointed by the show’s actions and are vowing to support him in his future endeavors,” wrote Catalano, thanking Gallagher’s fans for their support.