When “The Voice” coach, Adam Levine, left the NBC singing competition in May, 2019, not a lot was being said about his reasons. People were speculating like crazy. But an official answer was never given. The mystery of Levine’s departure has persisted for the last three years.
What Made Adam so Angry?
Some fans have speculated that Levine left “The Voice” because of the change in rules that occurred in season 16, which resulted in him sitting on the sidelines during the finale without a single team member left to compete. Prior to season 16, the way the Knockout rounds worked, every judge was guaranteed to have at least one artist in the finale. When NBC decided to replace the Knockout rounds with the live Cross Battle rounds, that all changed. Levine’s entire team was decimated by the semi-finals.
According to popculture, an insider stated that “Adam had been checked out for a while, but this was a new low. It was essentially the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Popculture additionally reports, “NBC Entertainment Co-Chairman Paul Telegdy was reportedly so ‘furious’ and ‘embarrassed’ by Levine, he wanted him fired right away.” Levine was not fired, however. He left on his own volition.
Despite accusations of bad blood between Levine and NBC producers, the Maroon 5 front man posted on Instagram shortly after his departure that he was grateful for his time on the show. He asserted, “Thank you to everyone who supported this long strange and amazing left turn into a place I never thought I’d go.” Levine’s departure occurred eight years after he first sat in a red chair on season one of “The Voice.”
There has also been speculation that the three-time “Voice” winner departed because he was upset about the way the record companies were treating the winning artists by not following through with their contracts. In 2017, Parade reports that Levine complained, “We give these guys this incredible platform and this really rare thing, a lot of exposure and air time. Once we pass the torch, it is the record label that completely destroys that.”
Levine was clearly angry about the canceled contract situation, as well as the wiped-out team situation. However, according to recent reports, none of these are the real reason Adam Levine left “The Voice.”
What Levine Says About His Decision Now
According to a May 17, 2022 article on Looper.com, the real reason Levine made the decision to exit “The Voice” was that he was tired of working so hard, and wanted to just have fun and spend time with his kids. Levine confessed, “I was constantly working for so many years. Very lucky, very fortunate, very blessed and all that. Just to be able to stop in this moment to spend time with my new young family and just have the greatest time ever. Now I’m just, like, a stay-at-home dad. I just stay home and do very little. It’s great.”
Most big decisions are not made in isolation. It is possible that the frustrations Levine experienced on “The Voice” entered into the equation as well. However, Levine is standing firm on the explanation that his reasons for leaving were to spend more time with his family.