Chapter 23 Skip
Twenty-Three
Skip
No, we didn’t realize Wilder was gone—like, gone gone—for a long time. I’m sorry, Elyse. He submitted his formal resignation just before the VMAs, so we thanked him for all he’d done and closed out his paperwork.
I remember asking where he was headed. I thought he must have gotten a pretty goddamn good opportunity if he was leaving the pay that we were giving him, and he told me he’d gotten a gig with Les Jardins—they won Eurovision that year.
I didn’t know he’d been auditioning or anything, but why would I have?
I congratulated him and wished him the best.
It wasn’t until I received your call a few weeks later that I contacted Les Jardins’ manager and asked about Wilder. She confirmed she’d never even spoken with him.
It was strange. Strange as all hell. But we got the same answer as you: Given his email stating his intent to leave, he was not considered a missing person. So I know, I know, I’m empathetic to what you went through . . . but it was a difficult case to pursue after that.
And Ryan had provided her own fallout to deal with.
Mari
Everything was a mess. There were people who said they saw her at the after-party, people who said she was at a different after-party, people who had no clue. No one had a straight answer. I personally am confident that she never showed up at Victor!a’s.
I texted her at some point in the middle of the night asking where she was—no answer.
It was late, we all crashed at Victor!a’s, but when I woke up the next morning with a wicked hangover, I had this weird feeling in my gut.
I went back to the hotel—she’d booked separate suites for us, which was odd, since we normally would have stayed together—but they told me her room was already being turned over for cleaning.
I called Ryan again and again with no answer. By that evening, I had called Skip and Jas and Kylie and anyone else I could think of. But everyone, swept up in the celebrations of the night before, had lost track of Ryan.
I’m sure you’ve gone over this a million times.
There was no surveillance footage of her leaving the building—at least, nothing that was released during the investigation.
Her house in Malibu has been left exactly as is, locked up and left untouched except for the cleaners who are still scheduled on a weekly basis.
Her jet is still in the hangar, grounded.
Her phone number is a dead end—no responses, no messages.
Left with no direction, my team didn’t do anything in particular with her social accounts, but we’ve monitored the floods of heartfelt messages and Ryan, come back!
s that still roll in on the daily, if you would believe that.
The police closed the missing persons case as soon as they opened it.
The NYPD had been in touch with Ryan, they said, and confirmed she was okay.
In fact, they said she had stopped by the Midtown Manhattan station the morning after the VMAs, but that didn’t make any sense at all.
They refused to give us more information.
Everything about it was strange. If she was okay, why wouldn’t she answer any of us?
Why wouldn’t she have told me where she was going?
Jasmine
I didn’t know what to think. The police have been wrong before, even in these high-profile cases—especially in these cases, in fact.
There was a lot of public pressure on them to find Ryan, but they confirmed point-blank that they had spoken to Ryan and she was perfectly fine, just taking some time off for herself.
The official statement we released was very passive and generic.
I mean no offense to Mari and her team—what else could we do?
Going against the police would have incited a riot, and it was not a good look if Madcap had lost track of its biggest star.
People were already developing conspiracy theories about the NYPD and LAPD covering up cult activity and kidnappings.
We had to say something. But we also had to hedge our bets in case news came out later that .
. . well, that Ryan was not actually okay at all.
I think it was something along the lines of Ryan is pursuing new stuff at this time and requests that you leave her the hell alone, but worded better, of course.
It wasn’t my gut instinct that she was—well, hurt, or something. Maybe I’ve just been in denial. But I did wonder if there had been some kind of . . . break. That happens, you know.
She had been under immense pressure, most of her life, really. And sometimes, after long enough, people sidestep from one reality into another.
Hollywood Report Magazine, October 2018
The music industry is buzzing about the alleged disappearance of pop singer-songwriter Ryan Holding following her Video of the Year win at MTV’s Video Music Awards.
Sources close to Holding say that they have been unable to get in contact with the singer since that night, and she has not been seen or photographed in or around her New York or Malibu homes.
“The New York Police Department spoke with Ms. Holding at Midtown North Precinct on the morning of September 23,” said NYPD Chief of Police Michael Holmes.
“We spoke with her again by phone at the urging of her colleagues. Both times, Ms. Holding was safe and healthy, and expressed a desire to take some time off after spending many years in the spotlight.”
But some say the statement doesn’t add up, especially when Holding expressed intentions to attend the VMA after-party at the penthouse suite of industry peer Victor!a and never showed.
“I didn’t see her that night at my place,” Victor!a told Hollywood Report. “And I haven’t been able to get in touch with her since. I really hope she’s okay.”
It is unclear whether Holding’s label, Madcap Records, was aware of any plans by the singer to take a hiatus. The company released the following statement this morning:
“We at Madcap Records celebrate Ryan Holding’s historic VMA win and the deep loyalty and touching concern of her fans. Ryan is pursuing new endeavors at this time and requests privacy and patience as she enjoys a well-deserved rest and works toward her next major creative project.”
Teen Star Magazine, October 2018
Runaway Ryan?
Pop legend Ryan Holding is said to be missing after sweeping the VMAs and disappearing into the night. Is it a case of a runaway star or foul play?
“I saw her at the VMAs, and we had a great time catching up,” said Tyler Michaels, one of Holding’s previous beaus. “But she was acting strange, really jumpy. I wondered for a second if she might be on drugs.”
“She was totally spaced out,” said Savannah D’Alessio, close friend of Ryan.
“She was going to come to the after-party with us, but when we got in the limo, she wasn’t there.
I don’t know if she took something or if someone slipped her something again.
It’s so sad, you know, how the rules don’t apply anymore once you’re that rich.
I’d been really worried about her. I just hope she’s okay. ”
Fans across the nation have banded together to share clues and compare notes on social media and in person, determined to find the missing star.
“I’ve got my whole school involved,” said Amy Waltz, 17, of Cleveland, Ohio.
“We’ve got people DMing her on socials, trying to find clues in her music videos and press coverage, and contacting anyone in Ryan’s circle they can get a hold of.
It’s really exciting, actually. It’s like we’ve got our own detective agency, and we’re connected to people around the world who are concerned for Ryan and want her to be brought home safe. ”
Will their hard work pay off? Only time will tell.
Until then, Teen Star Magazine has opened up our tip line and is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to Ryan Holding’s whereabouts.