‘America’s Acquired Expertise’ contestant Emily Gold dies at 17

Former America’s Acquired Expertise contestant Emily Gold, who competed with the Los Osos Excessive Faculty dance group, has died by suicide, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Division confirmed to EW. She was 17.

Gold and her group, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., gained followers with each an Usher medley tribute in June after which, within the subsequent spherical, songs from the Black Eyed Peas and Tag Crew’s “Whoomp! (There It Is).” See the latter efficiency within the video under:

Decide Simon Cowell referred to as their first efficiency “completely good,” and he was a fan of the second.

“I do not know something about dance,” Cowell stated. “Nonetheless, that to me was an occasion. Actually.”

Nonetheless, the group was eradicated within the quarterfinals.

Leisure Weekly has reached out to the present for remark.

The dance group’s Instagram account options a tribute to Gold, which describes her as a senior and varsity dance captain. “Emily has all the time embodied each facet of our core group values by way of her energy, dedication, kindness, compassion, and essentially the most humble coronary heart,” it reads. “She will likely be remembered as a frontrunner, position mannequin, pal, and sister to her teammates.”

Gold herself gave perception into her performances on Aug. 13, when she instructed PEOPLE, “After I’m performing, I am actually eager about all of the corrections as a result of we get corrections up till 5 minutes earlier than we go on stage. So to essentially simply take into consideration all these in order that we apply them is my largest precedence on stage.”

A GoFundMe fundraiser began for the Gold household has raised greater than $25,500 as of Monday afternoon. “With nice disappointment we share our Los Osos Grizzly Emily Gold has handed away,” the message learn. “As a neighborhood lets come collectively and help the Gold household on this tough time. Please know this cash will go on to the household to help them and assist with bills.”

Greater than 300 individuals had donated.

For those who or somebody you already know is contemplating suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Disaster Lifeline by dialing 988, textual content “STRENGTH” to the Disaster Textual content Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.