Everyone thought this coach left ‘The Voice’ because of John Legend — but here’s what really went down
John Legend is setting the record straight! The Grammy-winning singer, who joined 'The Voice' as a coach in 2019, is known for his heartfelt and thoughtful mentoring. When the 'All of Me' Singer made his debut on the show in 2019, longtime coach Adam Levine exited, making fans assume Legend had replaced him. While the duo were seen sharing a fun and friendly banter in Season 27, Legend is making it very clear that he's not the reason Levine left 'The Voice.'
In a March 2025 appearance on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show,' Legend shared about Levine's return to the show after his exit. "Adam's back now! The last season he was on was season 16, which was my first season," Legend explained. Then, joking about long-standing fan speculation, he added, "Some say I'm responsible for getting rid of him, but it wasn't me! It wasn't me!" Legend then went on to celebrate their reunion on the coaching panel, saying, "But he’s back, so we're the OGs now. He's from the original cast. He did 16 straight seasons and now he's back. This is my 10th season," as per American Songwriter.
Reportedly, in a 2019 interview with Howard Stern, Levine himself explained the real reason behind his exit after 16 seasons, saying, "I was ready to not be doing it anymore, I think, for a little bit," Levine said. He added, "When it all naturally happened, I was like, 'OK, this feels right.' For better or worse, the moment in which we decided to walk away felt really good. It felt like this was the right time for me to go." Levine further added that balancing his career and personal life was a key factor.
The 'Maroon 5' lead said, "For eight and a half years, I was so busy, had the band, had The Voice. I was beyond fortunate to go through all of it because it was a life-altering experience being on that show, like, honestly... And then it got to the point where I got married, I had two kids, and I wanted to spend time with them and they were little.” He further said that returning to 'The Voice' just felt right, both emotionally and timing-wise." Levine continued, "The only way to sum it up is that just energetically...the opportunity came at the right moment and I was really ready," as per NBC Insider.
Notably, Levine also talked about his 'The Voice' comeback, saying, "We started talking about it and one thing led to another and here I am. It was that simple. It didn’t involve too much deliberation or overthinking. I kind of just felt ready. I was really happy to come back and experience it again with these three wonderful people." While talking about what 'The Voice' means to him, Levine told Legend, "It feels good. It feels accomplished. I did miss the chair,” he said. He further said, “It’s a unique and singular experience. It can’t really be replicated in any other way."