‘The Voice’: Team Reba’s Tom Nitti Reveals Shock Reason He Quit Show

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The Voice contestant Tom Nitti, who was a member of Reba McEntire‘s team this current season, has opened up about why he left the competition ahead of the Playoff rounds.

McEntire announced that Nitti had dropped out of the show on the November 27 episode, but very few details were given as to why, other than it being a “personal” reason. Nitti explained in an Instagram video the next day that he left for his two kids.

“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,” he said in the video.

Now, in a new interview with the Utica Observer-Dispatch, Nitti has opened up further about what led to his decision to leave. In the interview, the country singer revealed he actually qualified for The Voice in Season 23 but deferred to the following due to family issues.

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

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

Nitti, who is a New York State Trooper in the Mohawk Valley, picked to join Team Reba after his successful Blind Audition and continued to impress throughout the Knockouts, with McEntire using her Super Save to keep Nitti in the competition.

What viewers didn’t know was that Nitti was going through a divorce while on the show. This put extra tension on the singer as he battled through the competition. He recalled one moment when he opened up to his fellow Team Reba member, Jacquie Roar.

“I spilled my guts,” he shared. “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.”

(Credit: Tyler Golden/NBC)

This led to his “gut-wrenching” decision to leave the show, “not because I missed my kids, but because I couldn’t imagine losing them.”

“I am happy with the decision I made,” he continued. “But should it have come to that point? Absolutely not.”

As for what’s next, Nitti intends to keep making music and recently wrote a song about this entire situation called “Redemption Road.”

“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,” he stated.