Howie Mandel was booed for his harsh criticism of 'AGT' contestant Emily Gold a month before her death

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Emily Gold, a quarterfinal contestant of 'America's Got Talent' Season 19, was found dead under a bridge on the 210 Freeway on Friday, September 13. 

The San Bernadino County Coroner's Office confirmed the 17-year-old's death and revealed that she took her own life, as per The US Sun. 

Last month, Emily and her school cheerleading group failed to reach the semifinals despite their popularity among the audience and the warm reception from Simon Cowell.

Howie Mandel was even booed when he was a bit too hard on the team from California's Los Osos High School after their quarterfinal round performance, as per the Daily Mail.

Howie Mandel wasn't a fan of cheerleader Emily Gold and her high school troupe

After their quarterfinal performance, the group received a standing ovation from the audience at Pasadena's Civic Auditorium. Judge Simon Cowell joined in and hailed the troupe's performance as an "event."

However, Mandel wasn't impressed. He scathingly remarked, "The 'event' was a half-time high school show. I would love it more if my granddaughter was in it," leading to the booing. 

Dismissing the crowd as prejudiced, Mandel further said, "The bar has been raised this season and when you see dancers on this million-dollar stage you want to see at least one move that makes you go 'Oh my God'."

Emily was a member of both the cheer squad and the varsity dance team at her school. The team's success in the May auditions had the entire school in a frenzy of joy.

Cowell praised the team's "gigantic step up" when they returned for the quarterfinals and fellow judge Heidi Klum found it difficult to be heard over applause from the audience.

Mandel, meanwhile, sat with his arms crossed, declared, "I still think the same thing," and projected their ultimate elimination.

With the boos of the audience echoing in his ears, Mandel asserted, "The reason it sounds so wild in here is because the families are out here. You'll see. The people at home."

Emily exhibited no sign of resentment over Mandel's remarks and went on to share a joyful photo of her senior morning party on Instagram three days later. 

Speaking to People after the quarterfinal performance, the 17-year-old said, "When I'm performing, I'm really thinking about all the corrections because we get corrections up until five minutes before we go on stage. So to really just think about all those so that we apply them is my biggest priority on stage."

However, it is unclear if the 'AGT' loss had anything to do with Emily's decision to take her own life.

In one of her last Instagram postings, she described being on 'America's Got Talent' as "the most incredible experience" She thanked her high school dance team "for being the best family I could ever ask for," and stated, "So beyond thankful for the love and support!!"

'America's Got Talent' pays tribute to Emily Gold following her tragic death

The show honored her on Tuesday, calling her a "bright young soul." 

'AGT's official X (formerly Twitter) account posted a picture of Emily smiling and waving an 'AGT' sign alongside the caption, "The AGT Family sends out our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and team members of Emily Gold. She was a bright young soul and will be deeply missed."

Steven and Brandy Gold, the dancer's parents, also posted an emotional statement on Instagram about their late daughter.

They shared a picture of Emily in her cheerleading uniform with the caption, "With sadness beyond measure we must tell you all that we lost our beautiful Emily on September 13th. Our hearts have a hole the size of the universe right now."