Two suspects, Jabaar Vincent Thomas and Destiny Young, were later charged with second-degree murder. All rights reserved. Goodspeed's death reignited the debate over whether the judging on "American Idol" can be too harsh. Paula Mae Goodspeed was born July 4,1978 in Waterville,Maine by the name of Sandra Mae McIntyre and later married and had 2 boys,It wasnt until after her divorce she moved to California to try to get into the entertainment industry and changed her first name to . In the semi-finals, he performed Shelter and earned a coveted wild card spot. 20:35 EDT 17 Dec 2008 Jessika Baier, who auditioned in Season 8, was killed in a car accident in Michigan in December 2009. When Rickey Smith appeared on Season 2 in 2003, he knocked our socks off as he channeled the Motown era. Police: Paula Abdul 'Fan' Likely Died From Overdose When he said he hadnt, Abdul knew immediately who really sent them: ex-American Idol contestant Paula Goodspeed, according to the source. The man who was charged got a plea deal. He was honored by his home state of Oklahoma for his performances on the show. As previously reported by AccessHollywood.com, Goodspeed was found dead shortly after 6 PM on November 11, after the Los Angeles Police Department received a tip from a neighboring agency. Why is the Audition Process for American Idol So Confusing This Year? In addition, Simon Cowell made disparaging remarks about her braces: I dont know how you can sing with all that metal in your mouth.. I spoke to them after the incident, they were absolutely horrified. A native of Evergreen Park, Ill., Joey Kovar was scouted on a Chicago street and cast in MTV'sThe Real World: Hollywood, where he battled drug and alcohol addiction until he was eventually asked to leave the series. Because the truth of the matter is we brought them there. Eric Hill who was a competitor on the 10th season of ABC's The Bachelorette debuting in May 2014 suffered critical injuries April 20, 2014, while paragliding in Utah after his parachute. Me and her went by Paulas house a couple of times. When I heard from [Idol creator] Nigel [Lythgoe], Wait til you see this next girl! Shed show up to my home studio wearing fluorescent pants and skirts, with trinkets hanging off her jacket. News. Now she's a judge on the popular show "American Idol.". Show history: Smith tried out on Season 11 in 2012 at age 18 during auditions that were held in Colorado. PLAY IT NOW: Dish Of Salt: American Idol Stars Holiday Concert, Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police / MPD), Family Awaits Return of DC Mother Missing for More Than 3 Weeks, Man Shot Wife, Her Brother Before Shooting Himself: Police, Daughter of Buccaneers LB Shaq Barrett Drowns in Family Pool, 3 People Found Dead in Home in Springfield, Virginia; Toddler Found Alive, Why Fans Say Trips to Disney World Are Now Incredibly Complicated' to Pull Off. She was quickly nicknamed Glitter Girl by the shows fans. Watch Access Hollywood Monday and Tuesday nights for more of Paulas interview, and check back here soon to read about Paulas relationship with new Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. American Idol Stars Who Tragically Passed Away - Nicki Swift Ive been drawing ever since I was a little kid, and my first drawing was of Paula Abdul.. Cause of death was found to be cardiac arrest. 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Dec. 8, 2008 — -- Paula Abdul spoke out today for the first time about the death of Paula Goodspeed, an "American Idol" hopeful turned stalker who was found dead from an apparent drug overdose in a car outside Abdul's Los Angeles home. He was survived by his wife, who he wed in 2007. It is believed Goodspeed was an obsessed fan of the pop star. His death came after he suffered a leg injury. Police said that prescription pills, along with CDs and pictures of Abdul were found in the car. Friends and family of the reality star believed that she intended to end her life. ", "Idol" judge Simon Cowell made fun of Goodspeed's braces. He explained: 'I dont remember to be honest with you. She was not just a name and number, with a risk assessment, she was cared for by her family and mental health professionals.. How much fun we all had on our very first tour. The flower thing was really scary Paula [Abdul] really couldnt handle that. RELATED GALLERY: 2005: Paula finally ends her battle with chronic pain. Copyright 2022 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The judges hated her audition. But before he leaves, he plans to get Britney Spears on the show, despite her disappointing performance on this year's X Factor. In a Facebook video, Borgella said it was an "unexpected"and "rare case" that had "spread to [her] chest." 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. She was 31 years old. Paula Goodspeed | American Idol Wiki | Fandom 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. Baker was featured in auditions filmed in Puerto Rico. Whats even more sad about this story is that her group, G.R.L. 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Fans of the show adore each winner from their respective seasons, but it's also easy to get attached to some of the contestants who didn't quite make the cut. McKibbin performed on American Idol when the show was beginning to develop huge audiences for its episodes. On Nov. 12, 2008, Goodspeed parked her car a few doors down from Abdul's Los Angeles home and, according to Los Angeles police, died from an apparent overdose. According to Paula, this was not the first time Goodspeed had come to Paulas house to attempt to end her life. During that same audition, Cowell also said he saw a resemblance between Goodspeed and her idol Abdul. She even had Cowell as her mentor while on the show. You two are the best parents," Hug wrote in a suicide note read aloud at his funeral. After his time on the show came to an end, Smith remained in Los Angeles to kickstart his career, according toUs Weekly. Gold Derby is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Although Abdul says she never voluntarily met Goodspeed since the audition, Goodspeed told her niece that she had met Abdul about a year ago at Starbucks or something, she says and that Goodspeed was excited she got to meet such a big star.. It. I can't even imagine if I was right there in my home. Cause of death: Injuries suffered in a car crash in Studio City, California at age 31. Copyright 2023 PopCulture.com. My address was announced and [it was shown] how you could get into my house.. Paula Goodspeed, the former "American Idol" contestant who was found dead near Paula Abdul's home earlier this week, may have died from an "overdose," authorities have confirmed to Access Hollywood. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Her death gained international attention, particularly after her family said she had a history of mental illness. His final turn on the reality TV show was in Top 6 week, when audiences didnt connect with his song choices American Woman and Whatever It Is., Watch our lively chats with Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk) and 100 other 2023 Emmy contenders, including. She died in her car outside of Abduls home. Abdul was at the American Idol studio when Goodspeed was found. Cause of death: Smith died at age 26 in a motorcycle accident in Millinocket, Maine. 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.". 7 'American Idol' Stars That Have Tragically Died - from Paula Some of his cast mates included our favs, like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling. She auditioned for American Idol in 2006, and has been found dead outside Paula Abdul's home. Your email address will not be published. All Rights Reserved. The death of Paula Goodspeed is a tragedy, said Gina Serpe and Jason Kennedy in E! Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) The Recap Group. I am deeply shocked and saddened at what transpired yesterday, Abdul said in a statement. According to TMZ, family sources told law enforcement that Battle had become depressed over money worries, and she was frustrated that her band had not broken through in the U.S. Her final performances on the show turned out to be Edge of Seventeen and Black Velvet during Top 3 week. Willie Spence died in a car crash in Tennessee on Oct. 11, 2022. Click here to vote now! Throughout her time in the competition, she performed covers from singers such as Melissa Etheridge, Janis Joplin, Alanis Morissette, and Stevie Nicks. This left his family and staff on the show devastated. We use this field to verify if the person is not a bot and wont leave spam comments on the website. Shes really cool. And the thing is, that all she could do was get a hold of me through my fan club.. A former American Idol contestant apparently infatuated with Paula Abdul was found dead Tuesday night in a car near Abduls Los Angeles house. Everything to Know About American Idol Top 12 Artist Nutsa Buzaladze, Former AGT Host, TV Icon Jerry Springer Dead at 79, Everything to Know About American Idol Top 12 Artist Lucy Love. You have so much metal in your mouth. Paula Goodspeed (July 4, 1978 - November 11, 2008) was an American reality TV show contestant and singer best known for her season 5 audition on American Idol.Goodspeed was known for being a fan of singer and American Idol judge Paula Abdul, so much so that she changed her first name to Paula at the age of 16 and modeled her singing career and appearance after her. The two had lunch and that day, Abdul said, they collaborated on a song that became a No. Cause of death: When she was 42 years old, McKibbin suffered an aneurysm. She sang Whitney Houston's "I Believe In You and Me" and left us all with goosebumps, including Randy Jackson who was gobsmacked by the Hungarian-born songstress' sultry vocals. Im like, a really big fan. Online. The girl group broke up for a point in time, but has since gotten back together. Copyright 2023 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Topics; Paula Abdul; Goodspeed's 2005 audition is currently streaming on the Internet, and it's a typically depressing case of a troubled young woman bringing delusions of singing grandeur into the bright and . Looking back, Paula said she wished Goodspeeds appearance on the show had gone better, especially with her fellow judge Simon Cowell. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Paulas Sherman Oaks home is currently listed for sale, and Paula says she was glad not to be at home the day the heartbreaking event occurred. Her parents, who reported her missing the same day, had previously told sheriffs that they thought she would be at Abduls house. When McIntyre visited California, her aunt showed her Abduls house, but not in a way that suggested she was a stalker. But a relative of Goodspeed, who knew her well, disputes the characterization of her as a celebrity stalker. Abdul said her life seems to be coming full circle. It was a very tragic, unfortunate, [and] sad, Paula told Billy I was very blessed and lucky to have been at [work at Idols] Hollywood Week when it happened.. Cause of death: Died from a rare form of endometrial cancer at age 32. "Saying that she had a bridge in her mouth?