Ousted 'Voice' contestant Ryan Gallagher denies breaking COVID-19 protocols

The opera singer previously told the celeb coaches his mom had been hospitalized with COVID-19.

Credit: Tyler Golden/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Ryan Gallagher, a former contestant on the current season of The Voice, is denying he was kicked off the show for violating its COVID-19 protocols.

“Last Sunday, 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," Michael Catalano, the singer’s manager, told EW in a statement. People was first to report.

Catalano continued, "In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth."

In response to Catalano and Gallagher's claims, NBC and MGM shared a joint statement with EW.

"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. We were made aware of a breach in those protocols, and after examining the situation, and out of an 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," NBC and MGM said.

In his statement, Catalano said Gallagher, 32, "understands all too well how serious the Covid 19 pandemic is in this country and around the world. 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.

"As you can imagine, there is more to the story here than the show has announced and at an appropriate time and place of our choosing, Ryan will respond to these damaging allegations,” the singer’s manager added. "Ryan, whose performing career began at age 15 as a backup singer for Josh Groban in Michigan, has been devastated by the show’s dismissal. A career as a singer/performer has been his life-long dream."

Catalano concluded, "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. He remains very, very appreciative. Thank you for your continued support of Ryan Gallagher during this difficult time.”

Gallagher was recruited by Clarkson in week 2 of blind auditions and later, the opera singer went up against other contestants during the Four-Way Knockouts on the Nov. 24 episode. At the top of the live playoffs on Nov. 30, host Carson Daly announced Gallagher had to "exit the competition" but did not explain why.

That same day, Gallagher alluded to the situation on his Instagram Story.

"Thank you for your concern for my family, however, everybody is fine," he said in a short video. "That's not the cause of what happened tonight on The Voice. I didn't drop out of the show. Details are still to come." Shortly after, Gallagher uploaded a cryptic photo of himself with the caption, "2020 you are an interesting one."

On Dec. 4, Gallagher wrote in a post that "it’s been a weird/stressful week. I am grateful to each and every one of you for your continued support and love throughout this new development. Standby for more facts!"

While on the show, Gallagher told the celebrity coaches that his mom was hospitalized with coronavirus. In an Instagram video from Nov. 16, Gallagher said he had recently traveled back home to Michigan from Los Angeles to see his family.

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This story originally appeared on: EW - Author:Rachel Yang