A Contestant on 'The Voice' Became a Homicide Victim

Singer Christina Grimmie was a young artist featured on Season 6 of the singing competition series The Voice in 2014. The talented young vocalist gained a following by posting videos of her singing on YouTube before she toured as the opening act with pop-powerhouse Selena Gomez. Grimmie had a four-chair turn during her season of The Voice, and placed third in the finale. The young singer so impressed her coach, Adam Levine, that she was offered a recording contract from him, regardless of the outcome of the series. When Grimmie performed a rendition of Lil Wayne‘s “How to Love” on the series, he also expressed on social media that he wanted to sign the young singer to his label. Grimmie had a bright future ahead of her, and was regarded as having the talent to truly make a lasting impact on the music industry.

When Grimmie appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show in 2011, the host had introduced the 17-year-old singer as “the queen of YouTube,” noting a recently posted video had accrued 200 million views, making her “the most popular unsigned artist” on the site at that time. After her time on The Voice, Grimmie continued her journey as an artist, increasing her following on social media, which had started to grow exponentially even before her time on the competition series. With her consistently booking live appearances on major network shows, her stand-out talent, and her clear determination, Grimmie was an emerging star in 2016. But, with the exposure of the spotlight that is part of a life in entertainment, comes the darker side of internet fandom. Grimmie’s tragic murder that year while she was on tour is a horrifying cautionary tale of the dangers that accompany fame as a young rising star in entertainment.

A Young Talent Met a Tragic End

In June 2016, Grimmie agreed to do a short tour with the band Before You Exit, with a stop at the Orlando, Florida venue The Plaza Live. Grimmie was known as someone who always took time to greet her fans, and after the performance, she and her brother Marcus were standing together during a meet and greet when the unthinkable suddenly occurred. Chaos erupted when 27-year-old Kevin Loibl shot Grimmie as she was opening her arms to greet him, suddenly firing at the singer three times before bolting for a nearby exit. Grimmie’s brother tackled the gunman and was shocked to see him turn a second gun on himself when faced with capture. Grimmie passed away from her injuries. In an episode titled “Behind the Screen” in the true-crime series Death By Fame, Marcus described how isolated the experience of witnessing his sister’s murder had left him feeling, dryly observing “forgive me if I don’t feel like a hero for that.”

The Tragic True Story of the ‘Jerry Springer Show’ Murder

Interestingly, Springer claimed no responsibility for the situation.

Investigators did not offer a motive for the killing, but CNN reported that the gunman’s co-workers said he had developed an unhealthy infatuation with the young singer through her appearance on The Voice. One man who identified as Loibl’s friend shared that the shooter had become focused on Grimmie for approximately six months prior to the shooting, watching her YouTube videos and monitoring her social media accounts. The friend further claimed that when he suggested to Loibl it was unrealistic to expect Grimmie to want to have a personal relationship with him, his temper would become erratic. During an interview on Death By Fame, a former contestant from The Voice alleged that Loibl had discovered Grimmie had a boyfriend, and conjectured that was the motive for the sudden violence. Grimmie’s murder stands as a horrific warning about the dark side of young fame, fandom, and the internet.

‘The Voice’ Honored Christina’s Legacy

A photo of Christina Grimmie on stage with Adam Levine shared on 'Death By Fame' — Image via Investiagation Discovery

Coach Adam Levine was hit particularly hard by the news of Grimmie’s tragic death. He reached out to the family to offer to pay for the funeral and for the travel expenses of Grimmie’s mother. Levine also expressed how much he loved and missed the talented young singer during a tribute episode in Season 11’s live episodes in 2017. He and his team members for that season then sang a rendition of “Hey Jude” as a tribute to honor their late peer.

Host Carson Daly called attention to Grimmie’s family in the audience. He thanked them for allowing the show to be a part of their announcement that they would be starting the Christina Grimmie Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to helping families impacted by gun violence. Daly observed that Grimmie’s spirit was felt on the show every single day, and that she was loved and missed dearly. Grimmie’s family also posthumously released the singer’s last recorded album, Side B, with the assistance of Republic Records. Though the young performer was brutally killed so early in her career, she will continue to make a lasting impact through this legacy.