Nightbirde, who soared on America’s Got Talent earlier this summer with her heart-warming, golden buzzer-winning audition, has decided to leave the series to focus on her ongoing cancer battle.
The Zanesville, Ohio, native (real name: Jane Marczewski) took to Instagram on Monday morning (Aug. 2) to explain her decision and thank her fans for their support while offering up some words of hope.
“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. I am so sad to announce that I won’t be able to continue forward on this season of AGT,” she wrote. “Life doesn’t always give breaks to those that deserve it—but we knew that already. Thank you for all your support, it means the world to me. 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.”
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During her audition that aired on June 8, Nightbirde introduced her original song, “It’s Okay,” by telling the judges, “It’s a story of the last year of my life.” Nightbirde later responded to Simon Cowell’s inquiry if she was doing OK by opening up about the cancer she’s battling. “Last time I checked, I had some cancer in my lungs and my spine and my liver,” she said matter-of-factly, adding, “It’s important that everyone knows I’m so much more than the bad things that happened to me.”
Her audition is proof of that: The video has garnered more than 30 million views on YouTube since it was uploaded in June, and her performance warranted a standing ovation from all four judges as well as a golden buzzer moment.
“Sharing my heart with the world on AGT has been an honor and a dream come true,” she wrote in her new post. “My point of view this summer has been astounding. 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.”