Emily Gold competed with the Los Osos High School dance team on Season 19 of “America’s Got Talent” weeks before her death.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA — Emily Gold, a 17-year-old Los Osos High School senior, varsity dance captain and “America’s Got Talent” contestant, died in September 2024, weeks after performing with her school’s dance team in the NBC competition’s quarterfinals. Authorities determined that she died by suicide.
Gold’s death brought an outpouring of grief from her school, teammates and the “America’s Got Talent” community. The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department confirmed the manner of death in reports at the time. Authorities responded late Sept. 13 to the incident in Rancho Cucamonga, while coroner information cited by ABC News listed Sept. 14 as her date of death.
Gold was a senior at Los Osos High School and participated in both varsity dance and varsity cheer. She had also been named a captain of the dance team. After her death, the Chaffey Joint Union High School District said Gold was a cherished member of the campus who was loved by students and teachers. The district made grief counselors and therapists available to students dealing with the loss.
Her dance team remembered Gold for the qualities she brought to the group away from the competition stage. In a public tribute, the team described her as a “leader, role model, friend and sister” and said she demonstrated strength, commitment, kindness and compassion. Gold’s parents also thanked people for the support their family received after her death, saying the response showed how many lives their daughter had touched.
Gold and her Los Osos teammates gained national attention during Season 19 of “America’s Got Talent.” Their audition featured an energetic routine set to music by Usher and earned enough support from the judges to move forward. The Rancho Cucamonga group later returned for a live quarterfinal performance featuring music by Fergie, the Black Eyed Peas and Tag Team.
The team’s performances drew praise from judge Simon Cowell and helped turn the high school dancers into one of the season’s notable group acts. Los Osos advanced to the quarterfinals before being eliminated following the live vote in August 2024. Gold’s death came only weeks after that appearance, while the television season was still underway.
“America’s Got Talent” later joined the tributes to Gold, describing her as a bright young person who would be deeply missed. The show offered condolences to her family, friends and teammates. The response reflected how quickly the Los Osos dancers had developed a wider audience during their run on the competition.
The school community also organized events honoring Gold. Los Osos planned a football game tribute in which attendees were encouraged to wear gold, along with a moment of silence. Community members also established a fundraising campaign to assist her family with expenses after her death.
Public reports did not establish a motive for Gold’s death, and no reliable information reviewed for this story supports speculation about why she died. Officials and school leaders focused their public statements on supporting her family, classmates and teammates while remembering her involvement in the Los Osos community.
Gold’s death remains remembered through statements from her family, school, dance team and the television program on which she competed. No later official finding reviewed for this report changes the authorities’ determination reported after her death.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 31, 2026.