After Leaving The Voice Amid Custody Battle, Team Reba Contestant Sounds Off
Tom Nitti reveals more about his exit.
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:
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:
You can see his full post below:
A post shared by Tom Nitti (@tomnittimusic)
A photo posted by on
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:
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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.
Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.