Paula Goodspeed, 30, a Season 5 contender whose audition performance of "Proud Mary" was panned and mocked by the judges, appears to have died of a drug overdose, police say. Cause of death: Suicide via drug overdose at age 30 in Sherman Oaks, California. "Simon is a big fat bad word," she says, before flipping the camera the bird. The Florida nativenailed his version of Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" during the third season's competition but was "eliminated before the selection of 12 finalist," according to CNN. Joanne Borgella impressed the judges during American Idol Season 7, reaching the Top 24. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. He confessed to drinking "about six beers" and driving drunk, but his lawyer believed he had been "coerced into confessing," theNY Daily News reported. Police confirmed Goodspeed died after overdosing and had been involved in several incidents at Abdul's home in recent years. Our officers discovered her vehicle parked on the street, and found her inside. Her. It was his musical upbringing that contributed to his raw talent. Paula said the tragic event in November has made her home vulnerable to future disturbed fans. Cohen auditioned again in Season 8, attempting to sing Like a Prayer by Madonna. Peoplemagazine would later confirm Lynche died from "acute chronic alcoholism. And the thing is, that all she could do was get a hold of me through my fan club.. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Orange County Coroner's report said Johns died from an enlarged heart and a "fatty liver." She was in a vehicle driven by her pro-basketball player boyfriend Rasual Butler, who also died. In a Facebook video, Borgella said it was an "unexpected"and "rare case" that had "spread to [her] chest." [POLL], 'American Idol 21' episode 14 recap: Top 12 revealed! went on to tour with Meghan Trainor in 2015. Abdul also had numerous orders of protection against Goodspeed, "but come American Idol, when anyone could audition, she showed up.". Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Julien Hug, a restaurateur featured as a contestant on ABC's The Bachelorette, shot himself n Nov. 2010. He sent the tracks to the singing coach, and that was the last time I worked with Paula, he says. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. In addition, Simon Cowell made disparaging remarks about her braces: I dont know how you can sing with all that metal in your mouth.. The star of Paradise Hotel 2, which aired on MyNetworkTV, Nathan Clutter leaped to his death from a cellular tower in Oct. 2007 at the age of 26. Oh my god she changed her name for you, and I saw her name, I got really nervous. Paula said of Goodspeed. Although somewhat calmer, she got a thumbs down again with Cowell declaring her, horrendous.. Excerpts of the coroner's report, which was released. I didnt do anything, she said of the suspected suicide. She died in her car, parked outside Abdul's home in Sherman Oaks, California. Haley Smith was a contestant during Season 11. She was 42. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. Corey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Cinema/Screen Studies from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2021. His confession was "deemed inadmissible," and because Bark wasn't read his rights at the time of the arrest, he was given a plea deal, was charged with driving drunk, and was sentenced to only 364 days in jail. A DMV check of the license showed that the car was registered to Goodspeed. January 8, 2015. He moved to Atlanta to pursue a music career before heading to Los Angeles, where he signed with Maverick Records in 2002. She crashed her motorcycle in Millinocket, Maine on Aug. 31, 2019. That's rude. Leah LaBelle finished 12th in American Idol Season 3. PEOPLE.com and the Peoples Choice Awards are counting your votes! The sheriffs determined that Ms. Goodspeed may be up in the vicinity by Paula Abduls house. American Idol Recap: Top 10 Revealed After Viewers Vote Live, The Reason Kim Kardashian Wants to Quit Reality TV, Ed Sheeran Appears in Court Over Thinking Out Loud Plagiarism Lawsuit. "We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence," the Idol team wrote on Twitter. 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At first the cause of death was thought to be an accidental drug overdose, but the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office later ruled that Haim's death was due to pneumonia. LaBelle's blood alcohol level was .144. Her death gained international attention, particularly after her family said she had a history of mental illness. Billy asked Paula if she felt any guilt surrounding Goodspeeds death. It's just been a very, very tough three weeks for me and for her family and for everyone involved.". And I made life-sized drawings of Paula. Goodspeed didn't make it past the audition phase, but she returned in Season 6 to try out again. Paula Goodspeed, the "American Idol" contestant who was an obsessive fan of Paula Abdul, was found dead in her car near the TV judge's home in an apparent suicide by overdose . Copyright 2022 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 'America's Got Talent' Winners: Where Are They Now? We send our condolences to his loved ones.". But, ended up withdrawing from the show out of respect to Saunders after his death. American Idol 21 predictions: Iam Tongi is early front-runner to win, but who will be eliminated from Top 12? Little did they know, she would soon make national headlines. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Others were memorable oddballs who often made the wrong kind of impression. I was always around music growing up." Deadline Media, Get our free, urgent prediction updates and news, American Society of Cinematographers Awards 2023, Emmy Noms Predictions Odds: All Star Users, Leaderboards: See All Past Prediction Accuracy Scores, Leaderboards: Best Prediction Accuracy Scores for Film, TV and Music Awards, Leaderboards: Best TV Show Predictions by Gold Derby Users, Find a User or Expert / Download Gold Derbys Free, New App, Watch our video interviews with top awards contenders: directors, producers, below-the-line artisans and , Watch our lively predictions slugfests with Experts and Editors, Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon (George and Tammy), Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus: Sicily), Vera Farmiga and Cherry Jones (Five Days at Memorial), 'American Idol' Top 20: Who gave the best performance? We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. She just liked the name Paula, she says. However, he struggled to gain the recognition he deserved and ended up moving backto his hometown of Oklahoma City. 'American Idol' Contestant Nutsa Buzaladze Apologizes to Katy Perry After She's Told She Needs 'Grace', Katy Perry Tries to Convince 'Idol' Contestant Sara Beth Liebe to Stay on Show After Mom-Shaming Accusations, N.J. Student, 11, Found Dead in School Bathroom After She Reported Alleged Bullying, Best Friends, 16 and 17, Die in Crash on the Way to N.Y. Cabin for Spring Break: 'We Are All Reeling', 2 Fla. 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During the recording process, Goodspeed struggled and broke down and cried several times, Faris says, and in the end they finished only one song and left two others incomplete. The substance-abuse-related deaths of police brutality victimRodney King, Grease actor Jeff Conaway and Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr shined a spotlight on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, a reality show which so far has had five fatalities among its troubled cast members, including Joey Kovar and Mindy McCready. During her audition, she said that she often drew pictures of Abdul and been drawing them since she was young. Click the photo above to watch the video. Abdul, 46, claimed last week she had been stalked by Goodspeed for 17 years and she had filed restraining orders against her in the past. ", "Idol" judge Simon Cowell made fun of Goodspeed's braces. It was a tough pill to swallow. "I am deeply shocked and saddened at what transpired," Abdul says of the apparent suicide of Paula Goodspeed. Assistant Coroner Sarah Watson recorded that Burdett was a well rounded individual who was a vocalist by profession. "I'm sorry to have to do this to you. He was 34. There was no suspicious circumstances. 'Prior to that, it was always through a fan club. The Bachelor cast member Gia Allmand died tragically in August 2013 at age 29 "following an apparent suicide attempt," a statement from her family read. All About Kara Robinson, Whose Daring Escape from Captivity Led to Her Predator's Capture, 2005: Paula finally ends her battle with chronic pain. "It's coming up on 20 years of me being a Laker girl and [the song] 'Straight Up' being No. My address was announced and [it was shown] how you could get into my house.. He was consumed by depression, skipping doctor appointments, going on drug binges. I can't even imagine if I was right there in my home. "Paula reacted pretty much the way anyone would react," her sister, Sonja McIntyre, told Good Morning America. "We know her spirit still shines and will continue to live on in heaven. He was the lead contender on The Voice in season eight. Who was eliminated? My address was announced and [it was shown] how you could get into my house.. Im like, a really big fan. TMZ reports Smith was just 36-years-old. Abdul and Cowell were filming the new series of American Idol with fellow judges Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi when she was informed of Goodspeed's suicide in her car on November 11th. 2023 Tony Awards slugfest: Final predictions for play nominations [WATCH], 2023 Tony Awards slugfest: Final predictions for musical nominations [WATCH], "I watched the first three episodes and my opinion is the same as", David. McIntyre confirms that Goodspeed changed her name from Sandra to Paula, but says she did it about 16 years ago and suggests the decision may not have had anything to do with Abdul. I dont know why he did it, he didnt leave a note. A former American Idol contestant apparently infatuated with Paula Abdul was found dead Tuesday night in a car near Abduls Los Angeles house. As previously reported by AccessHollywood.com, Goodspeed was found dead shortly after 6 PM on November 11, after the Los Angeles Police Department received a tip from a neighboring agency. And I made life-sized drawings of Paula. His set list included I Was Here (Showstopper), Wind Beneath My Wings (Top 24), The Prayer (Top 24), Set Fire to the Rain (Top 16), Diamonds (Top 16), Stand Up (Top 12), Circle of Life (Top 10), Yellow (Top 7), You Are So Beautiful (Top 7), Glory (Top 4), What Theyll Say Bout Us (Top 4), Georgia On My Mind (Finale) and A Change is Gonna Come (Finale). He tragically took his life on March 17, 2019. His audition song was Brian McKnights One Last Cry and finished in eighth place. Abdul was at the American Idol studio when Goodspeed was found. Raised in Toronto, LaBelle had choir experience, participated in beauty pageants and appeared in musicals before she tried out for Idol. After a stint in college, She signed a record deal in 2011 with L.A. Reids Epic that was also associated with Pharrell Williams and Jermaine Dupri. On Jan. 31, 2018, LaBelle and her boyfriend, basketball player Rasual Butler, were killed in a car crash in Studio City, California. After finding out about the woman's death, Abdul moved out of her Sherman Oaks home and has been staying with friends while she looks for somewhere new to buy. Meanwhile, Cowell also addressed his future career plans, which may include stepping down as a judge on the hit U.S. show American Idol. Dec. 8, 2008 — -- Paula Abdul spoke out today for the first time about the death of Paula Goodspeed, an "American Idol" hopeful turned stalker who was found dead from an apparent drug overdose in a car outside Abdul's Los Angeles home. Shain Gandee, the 21-year-old star of MTV's Buckwild was discovered dead, along with his uncle and one other person, in a car found in a remote area of Sissonville, West Virginia, on April 1, 2013. With so many amazing things happening in her career, we never would've expected her life to be cut short in January 2018 when she and her boyfriend, former professional basketball player Rasual Butler (pictured, left), were killed in a car accident in Studio City, Calif. After a lengthy, months-long investigation, TMZ reported Butler, who was behind the wheel, had "multiple substances in his system at the time of his fatal crash." "She lived with me and she was my roommate.". She returned to the show to audition in Season 8, according to BBC, but the publication added that Cowell still deemed her audition "horrendous." Subscribe for Latest Update! This left his family and staff on the show devastated. She was terrified, says the source. The victims were helicopter pilot David Gibbs, 59, along with Darren Rydstrom, 45, crew of the show, and Michael Donatelli, 45, a cast member. Would love your thoughts, please comment. On Sept. 5, 2014, Battles boyfriend found her hung in her West Hollywood home. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 1. "I said, 'I'm serious, I'll move you into my house,'" Abdul said. She signed up with Wilhelmina Models and appeared on the show Curvy Girls in 2013. Alexis Cohen was featured in the auditions episodes of Seasons 7 and 8. She sang Whitney Houston's "I Believe In You and Me" and left us all with goosebumps, including Randy Jackson who was gobsmacked by the Hungarian-born songstress' sultry vocals. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Now, theres access to follow me home and I [had] a really scary situation and its time for me to move.