Why did Tom Nitti leave The Voice season 24? Explained

When Tom Nitti, 31, departed from The Voice last month during the playoff rounds, citing personal reasons, the country singer from Team Reba did not offer much detail about the unexpected departure.

Reba McEntire's team for the playoffs was one member short with the absence of country singer Tom Nitti. It has now been revealed that he left upon discovering his ex-wife's pursuit of primary custody of their two children.

“The biggest misconception is when people think I went on the show knowing that I’d leave,” he said in an interview. “It all happened so quickly and I needed to make a fast decision. I chose my family and I’ll tell you why.”

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What really went down with Tom Nitti?

Tom Nitti, initially invited to participate in season 23 of The Voice but deferred a year to secure a leave of absence from his role as a New York State Trooper, had filed for divorce five months before season 24 aired. Despite a strained relationship with his ex-wife, he was actively working to co-parent during this time.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to pursue music full time, but I can’t do that without a cushion. As a dad, I need to make sure my children will be supported," he said.

Making waves and capturing attention with his renditions of Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) during the blind auditions, winning the battle rounds with his cover of Cody Johnson's Til You Can't, and securing a spot in the knockout round with his take on the Temptations' (I Know) I'm Losing You, Tom Nitti emerged as one of Team Reba's six finalists.

Tom Nitti stated that after facing up against Jacquie Roar during the knockout rounds, she asked him what was wrong, as he appeared sad despite McEntire saving him from elimination.

"I spilled my guts," he said. "I told her about how I had just received an email from my lawyers urging me to come home because my ex-wife was going after primary custody.”

"Not because I missed my kids, but because I couldn’t imagine losing them. I am happy with the decision I made, but should it have come to that point? Absolutely not,” he added.

Shortly after leaving the show, Tom Nitti acknowledged his split in a lengthy Instagram post, in which he wrote,

"As much as it absolutely stings to say, I had to make probably one of the hardest yet easiest decisions ever and ultimately at the end of the day, my kids will always come first and if I had to make the same decision again I’d do it over and over."

"This isn’t the end of me and I’ll do what I do best for everyone to see which is keep my head down and move forward playing music and raising/creating new memories with a family I will continue to grow.”

Nitti released a new original track titled "One Night Stand" in collaboration with fellow contestants Bias and Lennon VanderDoes. The country song features lyrics like, There’s a hole in the wall dive bar, It’s downtown, I can't believe a girl like you would come around, and Strut keeps turning heads. Gotta get you outta here.

While Bias is still on the show, VanderDoes was eliminated after the playoff round after being temporarily revived by Gwen Stefani's Super Save. Tom Nitti also revealed that he has written a new song titled "Redemption Road," which reflects on his journey.

Viewers were left tearing up when they heard him say:

“I’m hoping one day my kids will be able to see why I did what I did instead of just thinking that I quit,”.

The fate of Tom Nitti gaining shared custody of his children is unknown, but based on what we know about him, we may hope for a favorable resolution.