The Voice's Tom Nitti Explains Abrupt Departure From Season 24: 'It All Happened So Quickly'

The Voice hopeful Tom Nitti is opening up about his sudden exit from Season 24, hoping to clear up a recurring misunderstanding about his departure from the show.

"The biggest misconception is when people think I went on the show knowing that I'd leave," Nitti said in an interview with the Utica Observer-Dispatch. "It all happened so quickly and I needed to make a fast decision. I chose my family and I'll tell you why."

Nitti, a contestant on Reba McEntire's team this season, was last seen performing during the pre-taped Knockout rounds. Although Jacquie Roar won the three-way Knockout in which Nitti competed, he was ultimately saved by McEntire and advanced to the playoff rounds — but when it came time for McEntire's team to perform in the playoffs, she mentioned that "Tom had to leave for personal reasons." (A subsequent Instagram post from Nitti on Nov. 28 mentioned that "my kids will always come first," but he did not elaborate on the circumstances of his exit.)

But Nitti has now revealed that he was in the middle of divorce proceedings when Season 24 went into production, and during the Knockout rounds, he learned that his ex-wife was seeking primary custody of their children, prompting him to exit the show. He first told Roar about the custody development when she asked why he didn't look happy to be saved by McEntire in the Knockouts.

"I spilled my guts," Nitti said. "I told her about how I had just received an email from my lawyers urging me to come home because my ex-wife was going after primary custody... I made this choice not because I missed my kids, but because I couldn't imagine losing them.

"I am happy with the decision I made, but should it have come to that point?" he continued. "Absolutely not... I'm hoping one day my kids will be able to see why I did what I did instead of just thinking that I quit."

Team Reba now consists of Roar, Ruby Leigh and Jordan Rainer. New episodes of The Voice air Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC, with the Season 24 finale set for Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 9/8c.