“America’s Got Talent” contestant Emily Gold died Friday at age 17 after she and her dance teammates of Los Osos High School in California impressed judge Simon Cowell in recent episodes.
“It is with such a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beautiful, kind, and loving Emily Gold, Senior and Varsity Dance Captain,” the LOHS varsity dance team wrote on Instagram. “Emily has always embodied every aspect of our core team values through her strength, commitment, kindness, compassion, and the most humble heart.”
Gold’s death was deemed a suicide by the San Bernardino Country coroner, People reported.
The high-energy troupe from the Rancho Cucamonga school seized Cowell’s attention in the audition round. He called them “absolutely brilliant” in a clip of their act below.
“What I loved about this was first of all the energy,” he said. “And I think what I just saw is everything a great school should be doing, which is encouraging talent, friendship. It reminded me of when I saw those ‘High School Musical’ movies and thinking every kid should go to a school like that.”
In an episode last month, Cowell congratulated the dancers for taking a “gigantic step up” for their performance in the quarterfinals, where they were eliminated.
In mid-August, Gold talked to People about the adjustments the group made for their routines.
“When I’m performing, I’m really thinking about all the corrections because we get corrections up until five minutes before we go on stage,” she said. “So to really just think about all those so that we apply them is my biggest priority on stage.”
Amanda Edwards via Getty Images
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.