“America’s Got Talent” has given us many happy TV moments, but no one ever expected a tragedy to hit one of the participants. However, that’s sadly what happened to Emily Gold, a 17-year-old girl who attended the California-based Los Osos High School, and was part of the varsity team which performed in the 19th season of “America’s Got Talent” in 2024.
While the Los Osos Varsity team’s path in the show was cut short, they left an impression on the audience that was hard to erase. Emily was part of that wonderful team until she died from suicide not long after the team was eliminated from the competition.
Emily’s young age and the confusing situation surrounding her death have caused shock and lots of questions among people who watched her participation in the show.
So how much do we know about Emily Gold’s death, and how is the school dealing with the aftermath of such a terrible incident? Keep watching to find out.
What Happened To Emily?
Sadly, Emily Gold passed away at 17 years of age on 13 September 2024, in San Bernardino, California. According to reports, her body was found in an area called Rancho Cucamonga, after authorities were informed that a pedestrian on the lanes had most likely fallen off a bridge. Further reports from authorities identified that Emily died from the injuries sustained from the fall, and others caused by at least one vehicle which ran over her on the carpool lane.
By the time authorities found Emily, she was already dead. The case has been treated as a suicide, though an officer from the California Highway Patrol requested people offer any information about the incident to further clear up the circumstances surrounding her demise.
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The devastating news of Emily’s passing was first revealed by her family on 15 September 2024, while outlets such as People and Deadline reported on it a day after her parents’ announcement. As his father Steven Gold posted on Instagram, they’ve received an ‘outpouring’ of ‘ love and support’ from people whose lives ‘were touched’ by his daughter. Nonetheless, he also affirmed that the family had ‘a hole the size of the universe’ in their hearts due to Emily’s departure.
Another statement released by Los Osos High School’s authorities described Emily as a ‘beloved’ member of their student community.
Funding Campaign & Media Coverage
Following the sudden tragic passing of Emily Gold, a funding campaign to support her family during those difficult times was organized. According to the family friend who started the campaign, the $90,000 money goal was meant to cover expenses related to the teen’s funeral, and allowing her parents to afford services costs while they were away from work mourning their daughter.
To honor Emily’s memory, her school’s varsity dance team wore golden bows on their uniforms during an event in late September. A memorial for Emily was held on 26 October, with part of the collected funds destined to cover that event’s costs as well. The funding campaign remains active, and has collected over $80,000 to date.
Due to her recent participation in “America’s Got Talent”, Emily’s disheartening passing was widely covered by several news sites and TV. Besides the reports posted by entertainment sites such as Us Magazine, news channels such as NBC and KTLA thoroughly reported the incident. The latter channel even interviewed parents of other Los Osos High School children who were visibly heartbroken by Emily’s passing.
All in all, the loss of Emily has been tough for her friends and those who shared precious time with her at school and elsewhere. However, nothing compares to the pain of her family.
Debut On AGT
While Emily Gold’s name has now been making headlines for the heartbreaking news of her passing, it wasn’t that long ago that she and her high school were on the news for more positive reasons.
The California-based Los Osos High School rose to nationwide fame through their appearances in Season 19 of “America’s Got Talent”, when the whole varsity dance team turned up the show’s energy with their synchronized routines and youthful attitude. After they danced to the rhythm of Usher’s “OMG” and “Yeah!” in the season’s first episode, the team easily captivated the audience and three of four judges, as Howie Mandel didn’t vote yes. That wasn’t enough to stop them though, as the teens got enough votes to pass to the quarterfinals.
Even though it’s usual for varsity teams to perform in front of audiences and light up the mood of everyone, the Los Osos High School’s dance team is also used to getting lots of attention for their top-tier work. Though they are on Instagram and YouTube, it’s through the dance team’s TikTok account that they’ve attracted the most attention, to the point that their ‘Super Bowl Halftime Show’ series, in which they create dance routines for artists, has gone viral several times in the last couple of years.
Exit From AGT & Aftermath
The Los Osos High School dance team’s second performance in “America’s Got Talent” was featured in the 19th season’s quarter-finals stage. In it, the team sported shiny blue uniforms as they danced to Tag Team’s “Whoomp!”, Fergie’s “Fergalicious”, and the Black Eyed Peas hit “Pump It”.
As usual, the team performed a partially synchronized routine which included some acrobatics, and relied on teamwork to create an impressive choreo. The fact that the team had over a dozen members who were in tune with each other made their routine all the more impressive.
Despite receiving a standing ovation, the Los Osos High School’s dance team wasn’t able to pass to the next stage in the show. While Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Simon Cowell agreed that the team deserved to continue in the competition, Howie Mandel didn’t let the euphoric audience’s pressure get to him, describing their routine as ‘nice’ and similar to a ‘half-time high school show’. The answer from one of the team members was that they didn’t take the criticism negatively, and were going to work harder in the studio.
That was the last time in the season that we saw Los Osos High School in “America’s Got Talent”, but it surely was a nice time for them while it lasted. Even though the pain of Emily Gold’s passing is still fresh in the team members’ hearts, there’s comfort in the memory of having shared such an important moment of their lives with her.
