American Idol Contestant Wyatt Pike Breaks Silence After Quitting Before Live Show

It was just one of many shocks on the latest episode of "American Idol," but a heartbreaking one for the growing fanbase of Top 16 finalist Wyatt Pike when Ryan Seacrest announced that he'd had to drop from the competition.

No explanation was given for his sudden departure -- he was both a fan and judge favorite for his unique artistry and style -- leaving fans reeling and speculating. After two days of unanswered questions and curiosity, Wyatt finally broke the silence himself.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Wyatt captioned a picture of himself, "I had to leave the 'American Idol' competition for personal reasons but am so thankful I get to play music for the rest of my life."

He continued with a message directly to his fellow contestants. "Miss you all, good luck!" he wrote.

He then thanked his fans for their support (his Instagram page boasts a solid 76.1k followers) and promised "more musical things soon!"

Among his fellow Season 19 contestants who quickly offered their love and support was frontrunner Grace Kinstler, who wrote, "So much love for you Wyatt!!! You are going to do AMAZING things; I cannot wait to watch it all unfold for you!!"

"You are so special Wyatt- JUST THE BEGINNING BABY!!!!" added Madison Watkins. "Can’t wait to see you soon. You are A GEM in every since of the word."

Wyatt's duet partner, who credited him with helping her find her confidence on the show, wrote, "I love you and miss you so much!!!! So excited for your future. 💛"

Some of the guys from the season kept their sentiments short and sweet, with Colin Jamieson -- who was eliminated in that same episode -- offering a red heart while Beane wrote, "Love you so so big."

Graham DeFranco, who also saw his season end on Monday, echoed Beane's sentiment, writing, "I love you so much brother." The youngest singer in the competition, 15-year-old Ava August, told Wyatt, "We all miss you!❤️"

Confirming the evident bond that these contestants have developed through their time together on the show, Hunter Metts wrote, "Miss you and love you dude - you’ve got a fan and a friend for life dude."

Chayce Beckham added, "Love you to the moon and back Wyatt, to the moon and back ❤️"

Wyatt's fans filled the comments with well-wishes, prayers, love and support for whatever may be happening in his life that precipitated this decision. No doubt it wasn't an easy one to make, with all the opportunities the show could have afforded him, and no idea how far he might have gone.

"American Idol" continues Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. And this Monday, the show welcomes back ten contestants from Season 18 for the chance to compete on the big stage -- and for one of them, a chance to join the Season 19 Top 12!