‘The Voice’ contestant felt Adam Levine ‘sold him out’ after controversial on-air moment: ‘We did our...’
Adam Levine is grabbing major headlines for his stellar comeback on 'The Voice' after his unexpected exit in 2019. While Levine failed to clinch the victory in the new season, his heartwarming mentorship won hearts. However, there is one instance that raised eyebrows and placed Levine's mentorship under the scanner. It all originated when Levine reportedly threw a teammate under the bus, who had to say goodbye to the show and was left mighty upset.
During 'The Voice' Season 15, Levine stirred controversy in an incident fans dubbed 'Bathrobegate,' as per Life & Style. The drama unfolded when contestant Reagan Strange, just 14 at the time, was too sick to perform during the live elimination round and appeared in the audience wearing a bathrobe and full makeup. Meanwhile, DeAndre Nico, from the same team, sang John Legend’s 'All of Me,' and Dave Fenley of Team Blake performed Lonestar's 'Amazed.'
Despite Strange not singing, Levine chose to advocate for her during the voting segment, leading to Nico's elimination. This decision drew heavy criticism from viewers, who felt it was unfair to let a non-performing contestant advance while sending a performing artist home. As Strange sat safely in the crowd while Nico stood onstage, Levine said, "I have a very special relationship with Reagan, and I have two little girls at home, and the thought of breaking their heart by not urging everyone to give this girl a shot to go redeem herself next week would be far beneath me."
Levine continued, "So, I have to fight for my girl, and I have to make sure that I represent her properly in this moment because she didn't have a chance to use her voice tonight." Ultimately, Nico received the fewest votes and was eliminated. After his elimination, Nico expressed deep disappointment with Levine’s decision to favor Strange, as he said in a post-show interview, "It was just weird. I'm not being rude. I just felt like he sold me out and I just don’t respect it. I'm just being honest."
He went on to clarify that he understood what it meant to perform under pressure, stating, "We did our job, sick or not. I just got over laryngitis. When I came back, I still sang. It wasn’t any of that anxiety or any of that stuff." Voicing his frustration with Levine's lack of public support, he added, "I know that [Reagan's] a little kid, but it's like, 'Man, [Adam,] you could have put some words in for me at all, like something!'"
Levine addressed the controversy surrounding his decision to save Strange over Nico during the following week's rehearsal on 'The Voice.' Levine said to Strange, "It was a strange week, but it's over now." Trying to smooth over the backlash, he shared that there was no bad blood, adding, "DeAndre’s my boy. I love him. We talked." Reportedly, Levine, Strange, and Nico eventually reconciled and even FaceTimed during the episode.
Talking about Levine's future on 'The Voice,' according to an insider who spoke with The US Sun, Levine felt a noticeable "void" while filming 'The Voice' without longtime co-star Blake Shelton. The source revealed, "Adam didn’t realize how much his experience was made by having Blake on set with him until this season when he had to film without him. They added, "He didn’t enjoy this season as much as he anticipated, but he definitely feels Blake’s void and misses him. That's not to say he doesn’t like the other coaches this season, he does. But he didn’t have as much fun as he did in the past with his buddy Blake."