Tragic Details About The Pentatonix Members

Both on stage and in the recording booth, Pentatonix fans know the iconic a capella group for its unique vocal instrumentalizations, captivating shows, and infectious songs and covers we still can't get enough of. Between the group's breakout appearance on the television singing competition "The Sing Off" and its subsequent rise to fame, its passionate, upbeat vocalizations and original takes on notable songs like "White Winter Hymnal" have been enough to spread good vibes all around.

During the holiday season, many fans turn to Pentatonix especially as an immediate source of good cheer and happy tunes via albums like "That's Christmas to Me" and "Holidays Around the World." However, some might be shocked to know that, behind the group's instrument-free performances and joyous a capella stylings of classic and original holiday songs, there lies some tragic details and untold truths that followed each Pentatonix member throughout the group's run.

Before she married Ben Hausdorff on April 21, 2024, Kirstin Maldonado had previously been engaged to Jeremy Michael Lewis. In May 2016, Lewis proposed to Maldonado in the City of Love itself, Paris, in front of the Eiffel Tower. Maldonado described the proposal as surprising and well-planned. "I was just so shocked because it was so out-of-the-blue and wonderful," she told People. "I was so happy. There were no words!"

However, not long before they were to be wed, Radar Online reported the couple postponed their wedding in 2017, citing undisclosed relationship problems. Per an unnamed source, the wedding had been planned to take place in December 2017. "Invites did not go out yet," the source said. "They are staying together to work on separate issues." The couple clearly were not able to work through their problems, however, given Maldonado is now married to Hausdorff. Though she did eventually find the man of her dreams and marry him, her first engagement's failure still must have felt devastating, considering her initial surprise and excitement about it.

Along with his friend and fellow Pentatonix member Mitch Grassi, baritone Scott Hoying is openly gay. He's been happily married to his life partner, model Mark Manio, since July 2023, and the couple shared exciting news in November 2024 when they announced they are getting closer to finding a surrogate mother and having a baby.

While he's since grown to be more publicly open about his sexuality, Hoying once thought he would have to keep it hidden for the group to be able to gain any traction in the industry. "I was essentially back in the closet again after working so hard to come out of it," he told the Dallas Voice. Considering how his place in the LGBTQ community is such an important aspect of who he is, it must have been difficult for Hoying to perform while suppressing such a crucial element of his identity.

Similar to his friend and bandmate Scott Hoying, tenor Mitch Grassi faced his own struggles revealing his sexual identity when he was younger. In Grassi's case, this was due to being raised in a small-town, conservative environment defined by traditional values. "There was a lot of toxic masculinity growing up," he told "Bringin' it Backwards" in August 2021.

Though it was imaginably difficult for Grassi to truly be himself in his youth, the temperature in his community has positively adjusted. "It's kind of progressing now," he said. "I'm happy to see progress after living away for so long." He's also come into his own over the years and has let his identity flow into his music. "I suppose it plays a huge role in my music since it's a big part of who I am," he told the Dallas Voice. "I will always write from a queer point of view unless I write from a 'character' point of view."

Between his highly-celebrated beatboxing, cello-playing skills, and his fluency in Mandarin, among other skills, Pentatonix beatboxer Kevin Olusola has proven he's a multifaceted, greatly talented individual. Though his hard work and many talents helped lead him to the life and career he now has, his success didn't come without the same hurdles he and other people of color face daily to make such dreams happen.

In a June 2020 Facebook reel, Olusola discussed his struggles working as a person of color, citing his parents' issues moving to the United States, and their determination to give him and his siblings better lives. "Opportunity is not the same, or on equal footing, if you look like us," he said. In order to both be seen as normal and bring his aspirations to life, Olusola said he had to work extra hard and frequently put himself out there, despite facing criticism from his peers for doing so. "The difference is that you don't look like us, and there's not a target on your back," he continued.

Every Pentatonix fan should know that bass Matt Sallee entered the group as the replacement for Avi Kaplan, who left it in 2017. With his initiation, Sallee marked the first new member to join the group since it formed.

In light of Kaplan's departure, Sallee was imaginably faced with a great deal of pressure replacing a founding and fan-favorite member of the band. Though some Reddit users acknowledged the disappointment toward Kaplan leaving, some fans gave Sallee a fighting chance as a new member. "I know everyone misses Avi, and I definitely miss him too, but I think people need to remember that he still has music out," one user said. Another wrote, "Saying that the group is worse off without him is not only insulting to Matt, who is an incredibly talented musician, but it is insulting to Avi and saying that his reason for leaving the group isn't valid."

Considering the group's continued success over the years, it seems Sallee has fit perfectly into Pentatonix's dynamic, despite any objections he might have faced when he first joined.