Meanwhile, Cowell also addressed his future career plans, which may include stepping down as a judge on the hit U.S. show American Idol. Johns was 35 years old. According to ABC News, the 30-year-old died from an apparent overdose in Nov. 2008. Haley Smith was a contestant during Season 11. Oh my god she changed her name for you, and I saw her name, I got really nervous. Paula said of Goodspeed. Mexican-American singer JenniRivera had been involved in several Spanish-language reality shows, and was starring in I Love Jenni on Mun2 when she was killed in a private plane crash that took the lives of seven people after it took off from Monterrey, Mexico, in Dec. 2012. My address was announced and [it was shown] how you could get into my house.. This show is successful all over the world and Im only on American Idol. My heart and prayers go out to her family.. I was always around music growing up." Alexis Cohen was featured in the auditions episodes of Seasons 7 and 8. I went through a very rough time of feeling like she wanted my attention so much I shed a lot of tears. RELATED GALLERY: 2005: Paula finally ends her battle with chronic pain. Paula said the tragic event in November has made her home vulnerable to future disturbed fans. Ive been drawing ever since I was a little kid and my first drawing was of Paula Abdul.. American Idol - Alexis Cohen Video player from: YouTube (. 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. And the thing is, that all she could do was get a hold of me through my fan club.. She signed up with Wilhelmina Models and appeared on the show Curvy Girls in 2013. Im like, a really big fan. 15 Most Dangerous Celebrity Stalkers In History | TheRichest When asked today on "GMA" whether she thought the judging on the show should be "rethought," Abdul said, "I don't think Simon Cowell will rethink anything. During that same audition, Cowell also said he saw a resemblance between Goodspeed and her idol Abdul. A.J. Soon after her X Factor time, she joined girl group, G.R.L. His death came after he suffered a leg injury. It's believed that she committed suicide. On November 11, 2008 she was found dead of an apparent drug overdose outside of Paula Abduls house, with CDs and pictures of Abdul that were found in the car. Despite Abdul's claims, Cowell insisted he didn't remember her asking producers not to allow Goodspeed to audition. "I wasn't ready to accept the fact that I had to come back and give up music," he told USA Today in 2008. He was 32. [POLL RESULTS], 'American Idol 21' episode 15 recap: Top 12 perform on 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night'; who was eliminated? Cause of death: Struck by a hit-and-run driver at age 25 in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Nicknamed "Glitter Girl" by fans, judge Simon Cowell was unimpressed with her performances of Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love" and Madonna's "Like a Prayer.". American Idol judge Paula Abdul has blasted the show's producers for allowing obsessed fan Paula Goodspeed to audition, knowing she was stalking the singer. It is believed Goodspeed was an obsessed fan of the pop star. Alexis Cohen made a lasting impression in 2008, even though the Pennsylvania native's vocals fell flat. Joseph Cerniglia, a restaurateur who faced the withering criticism of Gordon Ramsay on Fox's Kitchen Nightmares in 2007, leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in New York in September 2010. She suffered a brain aneurysm and was only 42. "It's coming up on 20 years of me being a Laker girl and [the song] 'Straight Up' being No. Jessika Baier, who auditioned in Season 8, was killed in a car accident in Michigan in December 2009. She died in her car, parked outside Abdul's home in Sherman Oaks, California. Gallery originally published February 2019. The show was in production on its second season. But what people don't realize, this was a serious, serious situation. I was shaking," Abdul said. Mental Health Awareness: 5 Talent Show Contestants Who Tragically Took Whats even more sad about this story is that her group, G.R.L. 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. After Idol, the soul-blues singer released his 2009 full-length album,Hold Back My Heart,followed by the EPLove and Sexin 2012, according toRolling Stone. Life would take a turn for the talented artist soon thereafter, and it hit us hard when it was announced that he had died on Dec. 6, 2015 at the age of 34. [UPDATING LIVE BLOG], Is 'SNL' new tonight (April 29, 2023)? Corey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Cinema/Screen Studies from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2021. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Billy asked Paula if she felt any guilt surrounding Goodspeeds death. 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." He died in March 2011 from cardiac arrest, just hours after filming a video for funnyordie.com. "She lived with me and she was my roommate.". American Idol Stars Who Tragically Passed Away - Nicki Swift James Miller. It was tumultuous, for me.. 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. Sadly, since the timeAmerican Idoldebuted in 2002,a few contestants have lost their lives in tragic car accidents, while another contender took her own life near one of the judges' homes. Thinking they had come from her restaurateur boyfriend J.T. 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 . tour that year. American Idol will return for its 21st season next year on ABC. The former model, who appeared both on Jake Pavelka's season and then on two seasons of Bachelor Pad, was dating NBA Pelicans player Ryan Anderson, who held vigil by her bedside where she lay on life support. Topics; Paula Abdul; Its a different thing, she added. Goodspeed auditioned for "American Idol" in 2005 and her off-key rendition of "Proud Mary" was ridiculed by judges. Cohen especially lashed out at judge Simon Cowell who compared her to Spider-Mans foe, the Green Goblin. Kovar died in Aug. 2012 at the age of 29; an autopsy revealed that he succumbed to "opiate intoxication.". All four judges fought over him during his blind auditions, and many fans thought he was going to win the competition. As the show enters its eighth season, record producer and songwriter Kara DioGuardi will join Abdul, Cowell and Randy Jackson at the judges' table. Cause of death: When she was 42 years old, McKibbin suffered an aneurysm. Speaking on U.S. daytime TV show The View on Monday, Abdul said she had been able to maintain a distance between herself and Goodspeed until American Idol provided a platform for the two to meet in late 2005. According to ABC News, the 30-year-old died from an apparent overdose in Nov. 2008. Her death gained international attention, particularly after her family said she had a history of mental illness. "There's a similarity here," Cowell said. So the last few years have been a little tough.'. Abdul claimed that despite her pleas with the programme's producers not to allow Goodspeed to audition, they ignored her, insisting it would be 'entertaining'. I happened to be in New York when I heard about it., Goodspeed auditioned for Idol in February 2006, dressed in pink, and with a mouth full of braces, she proclaimed, You have to have a certain personality to pull my look off., I really like Paula Abdul a lot, Goodspeed said on the show. He was doing some shallow water shots for his daughter Bindi's TV show, Bindi the Jungle Girl, when a stingray pierced his chest with its tail spine. "Although our family is suffering with this great loss, we find comfort in the closeness Joanne shared with the Lord," her family wrote in a Facebook post. When plus-size model Joanne Borgella began singing Celine Dion's "I Love You" in Season 7, it was clear she was Idol material. As one of the finalists on the show, he was part of the American Idol Live! The Toronto, Ontario native had a brief recording deal in 2011 with L.A. Reid's Epic Records. When McIntyre visited California, her aunt showed her Abduls house, but not in a way that suggested she was a stalker. American Idolshaped the careers of some of our favorite musicians, including Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino, and Kelly Clarkson. Assistant Coroner Sarah Watson recorded that Burdett was a well rounded individual who was a vocalist by profession. Also, PEOPLE has learned, Goodspeed had changed her first name from Sandra to Paula. 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. Show history: She tried out for the 3rdSeason of American Idol at age 16 and appeared on the show as a senior in high school. Her death gained international attention, particularly after her family said she had a history of mental illness. Cowell admitted he didn't remember Goodspeed, who auditioned for American Idol in late 2005. Here are the American Idol stars who tragically passed away. I didnt do anything, she said of the suspected suicide. (via People) that Goodspeed "had been writing disturbing letters for 17 years, almost 18 years." RELATED ARTICLE: 2000: Ending a 15-year obsession, Brooke Shields stalker is arrestedRELATED GALLERY: 2005: Paula finally ends her battle with chronic pain. Rest in peace Michael.". Fans will recall she competed on the inaugural season of the Fox reality show, coming in third behind Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson, who took home top honors. 'How did she get through the metal detector? We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Joanne Borgella, from Season 7, died in October 2014 at age 32 after a rare form of endometrial cancer spread to her brain, according to Pop Culture. Excerpts of the coroner's report, which was released. Her. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. Stalker: Paula Goodspeed - Former "American Idol" contestant who pronounced her love for the "X-Factor" judge at a 2006 audition - Reportedly died from an apparent suicide outside Abdul's home. ", Always In the Club, a Facebook page that shares updates about former Mouseketeers, posted a touching tribute to Lynche on their official page.