Ryan Gallagher’s manager insists the singer didn’t break Covid-19 protocols
The Voice singer Ryan Gallagher has broken his silence after NBC kicked him off the show allegedly after breaking COVID-19 protocols.
Why Did Ryan Gallagher Leave The Voice? “I Didn’t Drop Out” (Video)
Ryan’s manager, Michael Catalano, speaking on the singer’s behalf, released an exclusive statement to People magazine.
“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. In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth,” said Catalano.
NBC and MGM made the “difficult choice” to remove Ryan from the competition after he put others at risk
NBC and MGM released a statement to People recording Ryan and Catalano’s claims: “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 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.”
Catalano, in his statement to People, insisted that Ryan “understands all too well how serious the Covid 19 pandemic is in this country and around the world.” He added, “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.”
Ryan will respond to “damaging allegations” at an “appropriate” time
“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. Ryan, whose performing career began at age fifteen 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 continued: “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.”
Did Ryan break protocol by travelling to Michigan?
In a previous Instagram video shared on Nov. 16, Ryan said that he had recently traveled back home to Michigan from Los Angeles to visit his family. Probably, producers expect contestants to quarantine for a certain period of time before appearing on the show. It’s probably something like 2 weeks, or it could be longer. If Ryan travelled out of state during quarantine, that would likely break Covid protocols. I’m on NBC’s side here. If a contestant enters the studio and infects people, not only does that blow the season up, but it could put individuals in harm’s way.
Also, Catalano’s phrase “…in my opinion” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Either Ryan broke the rules…or he did not. However, Ryan’s manager isn’t exaggerating about one thing. If Ryan hadn’t been dismissed, he would have likely won the 4-way Knockout and gone on to compete in the Playoffs.
If a contestant considers The Voice a chance of a lifetime, staying put for a few weeks or even months would be a sacrifice worth making.
