Here is a statement from Mario. Not too much revealed here.
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I'd like to say it was a very hard decision, lots of things to think about, the friends I made there and how wonderful 'American Idol' has been to me," Mario tells ET.

"It came down to where my intuition kicked in," he says of withdrawing from the hot competition. "I need to focus on personal areas in my life and it meant I couldn't continue."

Although he wants to keep his reasons private, he does address the rumors. "It's stuff that I need to deal with," he says. "It has nothing to do with the family."

Mario says he didn't get a chance to say goodbye to SIMON, PAULA or RANDY but did say farewell to his fellow competitors. "For them it was a shock but they all understand," he says.

And he says once he takes care of his personal issues, it will be back to music for him. "Music -- that's my passion," he says.