AGT Favorite Leaves Show After Heartbreaking Health Update
Some folks may call "America's Got Talent" shady or say that it's totally fake, but there's no denying that some of the performances are truly unforgettable. Jane Marczewski, who goes by the stage name Nightbirde, instantly won hearts when she auditioned for "AGT" earlier this summer with an emotional song called "It's OK," which detailed her past year with cancer.
Before taking to the mic to perform her haunting track, she revealed, "I have not been working for quite a few years, I've been dealing with cancer." Asked by judge Simon Cowell how she was doing, she shared, "Last time they checked, I had some cancer in my lungs, my spine and my liver." Even so, she noted that while she wasn't okay in every way, she was okay overall and added, "It's important that everyone knows I'm so much more than the bad things that happen to me." As WKBN later reported, Nightbirde was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and was in remission, but the disease returned twice more and, in 2019, she was given three to six months to live.
When the 30-year-old Ohio native finished singing, she received a standing ovation from all four judges, which brought her to tears. What's more, she was awarded the Golden Buzzer by Cowell who called the audition "absolutely stunning." The performance video has garnered over 30 million views and made Nightbirde a fan favorite, but now, sadly, she has just revealed she's been forced to quit the competition.
Why did Nightbirde leave 'America's Got Talent'?
On August 3, Nightbirde took to Instagram to give fans a heartbreaking health update and reveal that she was forced to drop out of competing on "America's Got Talent."
Posting a black and white snap of herself sitting in bed, her head bare, she wrote, "Sharing my heart with the world on 'AGT' has been an honor and a dream come true ... What a miracle that the pain I've walked through can be reworked into beauty that makes people all over the world open their eyes wider," she told her nearly 750K followers. Then came the heartbreak: "Since my audition, my health has taken a turn for the worse and the fight with cancer is demanding all of my energy and attention," she continued. "I am so sad to announce that I won't be able to continue forward on this season of 'AGT.'" She thanked fans, asking them to "stay with me, I'll be better soon. I'm planning my future, not my legacy. Pretty beat up, but I've still got dreams."
According to a show insider who spoke with The Sun, "Simon called Jane personally when he heard the news." Adding that "she made a big impact on him," the source shared that "they spoke on the phone for a while and Simon offered her any help and support that he and his team can give and told her that the door is open when and if she feels ready to come back."