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'Voice' Contestant Anthony Riley Died By Suicide, Medical Examiner Confirms

Former contestant on “The Voice” Anthony Riley died by suicide, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner Office confirmed to the Associated Press.

The 28-year-old Philadelphia street performer was found dead in the basement of the apartment where he was staying on Friday.

Fans of Riley will likely remember him as a frontrunner on the NBC talent show earlier this year, although he left the show to enter a rehab program in order to address his ongoing struggle with substance abuse, according to Philly.com.

Shortly after leaving the show, Riley told the website he was committed to working on his sobriety and intended on returning to Philadelphia.

“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,” he said. “I just hope someone hears this message. It’s not worth pursuing anything other than your dreams.”

On Sunday, 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.”

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