Dark Secrets The Voice Contestants Tried To Hide

This article contains allegations of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic abuse, addiction, and suicide.

"The Voice" got its start in the Netherlands, where it began in 2010 under the name "The Voice of Holland." The American version debuted the following year, as did "The Voice of Albania," "Glasat na Bulgaria," "The Voice of Finland," and several others. Editions of the franchise can now be found in dozens of countries; everywhere from Nigeria to Lithuania to the Philippines. In some nations, there are even multiple versions of the show. In Poland, for instance, there is the regular adult competition series in addition to "The Voice Kids" and "The Voice Senior." 

While thousands of people have appeared on these programs in hopes of becoming a star, few have gained widespread recognition. And though a lot of contestants have found a small nugget of fame, these 15 minutes have not always been positive. After all, once a person hits TV screens, their secrets rarely stay secret for long.

Since so many of these wannabe superstars have shady secrets, a list like this could probably be written for each edition of the show. Therefore, we focused specifically on contestants from the three big editions most popular in the English-speaking world: "The Voice" (USA), "The Voice" (Australia), and "The Voice UK." Here are some of the dark secrets that the contestants on these shows tried to hide.

Kata Huddleston was a contestant on "The Voice" in 2016, during the show's 10th season, but since her departure from the show, she is better known for her crimes than her singing talent. Huddleston — who went by the stage name Kata Hay — did pretty well and was part of Christina Aguilera's vocal team. She made it all the way to the playoffs, which that season was made up of the top 24 contestants, before being eliminated. 

In June 2022, TMZ reported that Huddleston was arrested for sexually assaulting a minor. The victim was the 16-year-old son of Huddleston's friend, whom she had reportedly known since he was 9. Huddleston, then 35, was staying with the victim's family when the crimes occurred in the summer of 2022. According to court documents obtained by the outlet, Huddleston made sexual comments to the minor, which then escalated to unwanted touching and kissing in two instances.

Though Huddleston admitted to the crimes on a recording and pleaded guilty, she claimed in court that the victim's story was not accurate. "No, it was not a lie. That's why I pled guilty, but it did not happen in that way," she said (via WKRN). "I want to cause no more suffering for anyone. I'm truly sorry." Huddleston — who was on probation for a DUI — was sentenced to six months in jail, as well as a mental health evaluation and intensive alcohol program.

If history has taught us anything, it's that celebrities don't always do the right thing. And, sure, reality television singing competition participants are not quite celebrities, but they would fall into that general territory. One group of people we expect to do the right thing — although history has also taught us this does not always happen — are clergy.

Steven Flockhart is both a former "The Voice" (and "American Idol") contestant and a pastor, but he allegedly didn't completely abide by the moral code of the latter. In November 2023, Flockhart was arrested on charges of identity theft and theft of merchandise. His arrest came three years after the alleged crime, and nearly a decade after his stint on "The Voice."

Flockhart — who was selected to be on "The Voice" in 2012 – became a pastor at 901 Church and is alleged to have opened a credit card using a fellow church member's personal information. The member first gave the information for the purpose of opening a joint church-related account. Instead, and without permission, Flockhart opened another card solely under this person's name and racked up just over $6,000 in unpaid charges. All theft charges were dismissed in December 2023, but this does not mean Flockhart is innocent. Per Action News 5, prior to this fiasco, he had faced a lawsuit in 2020 for past instances of forgery and impersonation at a different church.

Jake Benson was working as a carpenter when he auditioned for "The Voice UK" in 2018 for the show's 7th series. Benson scored a coveted four-chair turn with his performance of Julia Michaels' song "Issues," and chose to be on coach Jennifer Hudson's team. He won his battle round, and then got eliminated in the knockouts, but as a great singer with good looks, Benson had all the potential in the world to be a star. But the singer squandered his chance only months after the show when he physically assaulted his ex-girlfriend.

Benson's crime occurred in November 2018, but news of his misdeeds only made the headlines the next January, after his December 2018 guilty verdict and conviction. The violent incident happened after Benson's then-girlfriend broke up with him after a year of dating — a timeline that means that she was with him during his time on "The Voice UK." In a fit of rage for being dumped, the singer grabbed his ex's neck and choked her with both of his hands, leaving her with visible injuries. He told The Sun the story was a "false allegation," even after he was convicted on the charge of assault by battery.

Unlike many of the other crimes on this list, it should be stressed that this particular one has not been proven in a court of law. Still, the allegations that came out against former "The Voice" contestant Melanie Martinez were troubling. On the third season of the singing competition show in 2012, Martinez immediately stood out to many when she auditioned thanks in part to her funky aesthetic and to her stripped-down guitar version of Britney Spears's "Toxic." She joined Adam Levine's team and made it all the way to the Top 6 before her elimination.

In December 2017, singer Timothy Heller accused her former best friend, Martinez, of sexual assault in a since-deleted post to X, formerly known as Twitter. Martinez immediately denied the story by claiming Heller "never said no to what [they] chose to do together" (via CBS News). "I am horrified and saddened by the statements and story told tonight by Timothy Heller," Martinez responded. "What she and I shared was a close friendship for a period of time ... And although we parted ways, I am sending her love and light always."

At the time, Martinez was one of the most successful singers to come from "The Voice," and she charted multiple songs on Billboard after this story emerged. While Nylon called out the "victim-blaming" that occurred and the problematic way that the singer's fans blindly defended her, no charges were filed in this case.

Adam Wakefield was on Season 10 of "The Voice," where he came in second place, and went on to form a trio with two other reality television singing competition alums. In June 2020, a woman named Erica accused the singer of rape, posting her story on X after an alleged lack of persecution by police. Erica recalled three years prior going home with Wakefield from a bar and later allegedly waking up to him having sex with her and verbally asking him to stop, which he would not do.

According to the victim, an ADA declined to prosecute the case despite a rape kit that demonstrated "trauma" and an alleged taped phone call between her and Wakefield where he declared that he "f***ed up." Erica was asleep at the time of the incident, and Wakefield reportedly told her and the police that he thought she was awake. She also claimed that other women reached out to her with similar stories after she came out with her post. There is no public information on the other potential victims, and no charges were ever filed in Erica's case.

In a statement to Taste of Country, Wakefield claimed the two had a "relationship" at the time. "I am not going to make any efforts to squash this woman's statement or try to diminish her voice. I wish nothing but healing and peace for her," he continued.

Though many of the dark secrets harbored by "The Voice" contestants are related to crime, that's not true for every single one of them. In Anthony Riley's case, the darkness didn't come from impacting someone else (or society) negatively, but due to his own internal battles that led him down a tragic path. Riley was a contestant on Season 8 of "The Voice" and was regarded as a frontrunner from the beginning. A well-known street performer in the Philadelphia area, Riley's audition of "I Got You (I Feel Good)" turned all four coach's chairs within the first few seconds. His time on the show was cut short when he mysteriously withdrew from the competition prior to the Knockout round.

At the time of his departure, "The Voice" only said Riley left due to "personal reasons." Not long after, Riley explained to the Philadelphia Inquirer that he exited the show to enter a two-week rehab program — which NBC actually paid for — after realizing that the nearly 16-hour days were "more responsibility" than he could take on at the time.

Riley left the show in January 2015, disclosed his addiction and rehab stint publicly that March, and tragically died three months after that. After Riley committed suicide, Philadelphia Magazine published an article about his life, written by an acquaintance and sparing no details about the struggles he faced in the years before and the brief period after the show.

Beth Morris is another contestant from "The Voice" franchise whose substance addiction forced her to leave the competition prematurely. In 2016, Morris was on Series 5 of "The Voice UK," where she was an integral part of coach Paloma Faith's team. It was at the Quarter Final stage that she left the show, under the guise of "personal reasons."

Morris later spilled the beans about the nature of those issues after a story by The Mirror accused her of using cocaine at rehearsal, although this allegedly took place away from the set. It's unclear if she was asked to leave "The Voice UK" or if she initiated her departure, but the vague statement released on the BBC's website (via the Daily Mail) indicated that it was at least partially their decision.

Only a few hours after the BBC posted their statement online, all of the big British tabloids were reporting on Morris' scandal. The singer told The Sun (via The Independent) that she had been battling addiction for two years, and, though she got sober in a rehab program, had experienced a number of relapses. Morris has remained out of the news since her 2016 brush with fame.

Josh Murley is another "The Voice" alum who made the news for committing a crime, although the stakes were relatively low as far as impact goes. The singer appeared on the American edition of "The Voice" in Season 6 airing in 2014. That season had several notable contestants including the late Christina Grimmie and country singer Morgan Wallen, who is the biggest star ever to come out of the show despite only making it to the playoff rounds. Murley's blind audition landed him a spot on Team Adam Levine, and he was stolen by Shakira after losing his first battle ("The Voice" experimented with multiple battle rounds that particular season) but got cut for good after the second round.

In June 2015, Murley was arrested after stealing a selection of food items from a Texas Walmart. He had entered the self-checkout line and left without paying — something more and more people are doing, which is why stores like Walmart and Costco now check receipts at the door. Murley's bounty was of chips and dip, drinks, and bread, all totaling a mere $57. But theft is theft, and he was lugged off to jail after being arrested for the misdemeanor charge. Little has been heard about him since his snack-filled crime spree, but some Instagram sleuthing revealed he is still playing small gigs in the Texas Hill Country region.

James Irwin is a former contestant on "The Voice" who has found himself in real legal trouble. Should he be found guilty of the horrific crimes of which he is accused, he could be facing decades in prison. 

Irwin was first a hopeful contestant on Season 4 of "The Voice." While Irwin failed to get any of the coaches to turn for his blind audition that season, he came back the following one and received a coveted four-chair turn. The singer chose Adam Levine as his coach and then won his battle before being eliminated in the Knockout rounds. Ironically, Irwin's story package highlighted him as a big family man — detailing the death of his twin babies just moments after being born and his welcoming of another son — which makes these charges extra shocking.

Irwin was charged with rape, sodomy, harassment, and domestic violence in August 2023, which is when his alleged actions were revealed by the media. These charges stem from events that occurred over a five-day period in April and May of 2023, and the victim of all of the crimes was Irwin's wife. Court documents stated that, amongst other things, Irwin dragged his spouse across the floor, strangled her, urinated on her, punched her, bit her, and forced her into an unwanted sex act that made her fearful for her life. As of this writing, no results from this court case have yet been released.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a million people in the United States are arrested every single year for driving while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Needless to say, this is a huge problem in America, and even big celebrities such as Tiffany Haddish, Justin Bieber, Tiger Woods, and Chris Pine have been arrested for drunk driving. Even Olympian Michael Phelps and actor Keanu Reeves have DUIs, so it is a bit unsurprising to see this charge on the record of a contestant on "The Voice."

Olivia Henken competed on Season 5 of "The Voice," landing herself on Team Christina Aguilera and making it all the way to the Top 20 and the live shows before being eliminated. A couple of years after her 2013 reality show run, Henken was pulled over for speeding and subsequently arrested for being under the influence. While the story made the news when Henken — who is married to another former "The Voice" competitor, Josh Logan — pled guilty to the charges in 2015, her sentence was never reported. Since then, much of Henken's social media presence has focused on her journey to motherhood, welcoming her and her husband's first child on April Fools' in 2023.

Former "The Voice" hopeful and music teacher Paul Rajasegaram was convicted of sex offenses toward minors. In addition to being a teacher, Rajasegaram was featured on "The Voice UK." He auditioned in 2014 but failed to get any coaches to turn their chairs, being sent home after his brief appearance on the show. That same year, he committed a number of sex crimes.

In 2018, Rajasegaram was arrested and later admitted to viewing and sharing child sex abuse material. A secondary school teacher, he also chatted to others about being attracted to his own students and about wanting to sexually assault the child of an unnamed celebrity. Rajasegaram ended up pleading guilty to five counts of both making and distributing images. In May 2021, the singing teacher was banned from ever teaching again and sentenced to 27 months in jail. It is safe to say his hopes of a singing career are dead, too.

There really is no excuse for driving under the influence, but someone needs to put a memo to "The Voice" contestants. Delvin Choice is yet another of the show's alumni who have been cuffed for the crime.

Choice was working as a barista when he auditioned for the show in Season 5 but failed to turn any chairs at that time. He came back the next season with a performance of "A Song For You" that wowed all of the judges and earned him a four-chair turn, joining Team Adam Levine. Choice sailed through all of the rounds and landed himself in the live shows, ultimately finishing in the Top 8. After leaving Team Adam, Choice also left Starbucks to devote all of his time to his singing career.

In 2014, Choice was pulled over and arrested for a DUI soon after his appearance on Season 6 of "The Voice." He was later released on bail. It is unclear what punishment he faced for his DUI, but the laws in South Carolina are rather lax for a first offense (the maximum sentence is 30 days in jail). The singer went on to work as a vocal and performance coach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and also owns a God-inspired online store called Kingdom Over Culture Clothing.

There have been some semi-notable people who have auditioned for "The Voice" over the years, including the guy who sang the "Cupid Shuffle," who embarrassingly got no one to turn their chair with an audition of his own song. So, it is not unheard of to have a Z-lister audition, but an aristocrat? During Series 1 of "The Voice UK," singer Bo Bruce landed herself a spot on Danny O'Donaghue's team. It was during her time on the show that Bruce — officially known as Lady Catherine Anna Brudenell-Bruce, daughter of Lady Rosamund — learned her mother had pancreatic cancer. She leaned on her coach for comfort at the time, and, as she later fessed up to, had a brief fling with O'Donaghue.

Bruce was the runner-up on her season of "The Voice UK" in 2012, after which she signed a deal with Mercury Records. She never became a huge singing sensation but was heavily covered by the British tabloids when she entered into a messy legal fight over her late mother's estate. Bruce and her brother Thomas Viscount Savernake fought over the mansion their mother had equally left them, which Savernake lived in and refused to sell. Bruce ultimately won the case in 2022, after beginning the fight over the £2 million home five years prior.

Though "The Voice UK" films in England, the show has featured competitors from all around the United Kingdom. Take, for example, Jeff Anderson, a singer who hails from Newtownards, a small town in Northern Ireland. Anderson was already a reality television alum when he auditioned for "The Voice UK" in 2014, having appeared on Andrew Lloyd Webber's competition show "Superstar" two years prior. Despite his singing skills, Anderson is far more famous for his numerous sex crimes, which have resulted in not one but two high-profile court cases.

In 2016, Anderson was charged with a series of offenses that occurred between 2005 and 2013. Of the 16 charges he faced, 15 were for sex crimes and included assaults on children, recording people without their consent, and possession of indecent imagery of a child. He was handed a three-year suspended sentence, but failed to learn his lesson and was back in court not long after.

That second time in court, Anderson was convicted for committing a lewd act and public indecency after exposing himself to a 12-year-old girl in 2018. Throughout the court sessions, the singer maintained that he was sitting in his mother's BMW playing a "mini guitar" and not pleasuring himself, but the jury did not buy it. In late 2021, Anderson was sentenced to nine months in prison and in 2023, released a social media video about how much people hate him and his self-forgiveness.

While he is not a known figure in America, Jack Vidgen is a relatively famous reality star in his native Australia. Vidgen actually won "Australia's Got Talent" in 2011, when he was only 14 years old. He then auditioned for the Australian edition of "The Voice" in 2019, after trying and failing to launch a singing career in the United States. He was eliminated in the semi-finals during the competitive season, and a lot of fans were shocked and saddened to see Vidgen go, but he was also targeted with much hate for his evolving appearance.

The years following "The Voice" were not easy for Vidgen, who received more and more online criticism and insults for his gender-non-conforming style, including his love of wearing makeup, lashes, and dresses. He also suffered at the hands of the industry, which he called "traumatizing" in a 2023 Instagram Live (via the Daily Mail). Vidgen's struggle with addiction came to light in 2020 after he entered a six-week rehab treatment program. Insiders quoted in The Daily Telegraph (via the Daily Mail) cited his decade in the music business, numerous career setbacks, and online trolls as contributing factors to his worsening addiction. Vidgen's rehab stint was only revealed after it had been completed, around the same time that he filmed Season 7 of "I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia."

If you or anyone you know may be the victim of child abuse, have been a victim of sexual assault, dealing with domestic abuse, need help with addiction issues, or are in crisis, contact the relevant resources below:

• Contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
• Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
• Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
• Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.