Chris Cuomo stunned by 'AGT' contestant who quit show due to devastating cancer update
Jane Marczewski, a.k.a. Nightbirde, a 30-year-old singer-songwriter and three-time cancer survivor, who received Simon Cowell's golden buzzer on America's Got Talent this season, appeared on Cuomo Prime Time Wednesday. It was her first public appearance since announcing on Instagram Monday that she dropped out of the competition in order to focus on her fight with cancer after her health took a turn for the worse.
When asked how she was doing, Nightbirde told host Chris Cuomo, "Well, to tell you the truth, I've been curled up in a ball like a cocktail shrimp, having an A-plus pity party for myself, because it's just been a bad, bad month. It's been really, pretty devastating."
The singer, whose future on AGT seemed bright after she moved AGT judge Simon Cowell to tears, shared how heartbreaking it was to have to leave the show early, when she beautifully explained, "I'm not a quitter. So it was really, really hard for me to say that I couldn't finish the show. I got shocking news less than a week ago about cancer regrowth that has taken over my lungs and liver. So my liver right now is mostly cancer. More cancer than liver in there right now. But like I said, I'm planning my future, not my legacy. Some people would call that blind denial. I prefer to call it rebellious hope. And I'm not stopping anytime soon."
Nightbirde stole viewers' hearts around the world with not only her beautiful voice, but with all of the beauty and grace which she exudes from within. And on Wednesday, she also stole Cuomo's heart.
"Have you always been like this," asked Cuomo, after Nightbirde begged the question, "Don't you want to see what happens if you don't give up? Don't you want to see what happens? And that's what I keep saying to myself and that's what I say to everyone watching tonight. Don't you want to see what happens if you don't give up?"
As for whether or not she has "always been like this," Nightbirde responded, "I don't know. I think when you're faced with so many blows to the gut in a row, like I have over the past several years, you find out what you're made of in a sense, and you're given the opportunity to choose what you want to become. So no, I don't think I was always this way."
Despite only having a two percent chance of survival, Nightbirde's endless positive outlook on life convinces anyone who listens to her that everything is going to be okay. And on Wednesday, the singer said that when, not if, she finally defeats cancer for good, she intends on writing the most amazing record we've ever heard.
In response, Cuomo told her, "Well, I'll tell you what, anyway that we can help you know we're a call away. Anything you ever want to play for people, I'm happy to play it. As you know, that's not what my show is about but you are worth deviation because I believe you're exactly who we need to be. We all got to get a little bit of 'Nightbirde' in ourselves and remember how to live our lives. That's what I believe you've taught me, that we got to remember how to live our lives."
Video Transcript
JANE MARCZEWSKI: Well to tell you the truth I have been curled up in a ball like a little cocktail shrimp having A-plus pity party for myself because it's just been a bad, bad month. It's been really pretty devastating.
KYLIE MAR: Former "America's Got Talent" contestant Nightbirde, a 30-year-old singer-songwriter and three-time cancer survivor who moved Simon Cowell to tears and earned his golden buzzer back in June, appeared on "Cuomo Prime Time" Wednesday. It's her first public appearance since announcing on Instagram Monday that she dropped out of the competition in order to focus on her fight with cancer.
JANE MARCZEWSKI: I got shocking news less than a week ago about cancer regrowth that's taken over my lungs and liver. So my liver right now is mostly cancer, more cancer than liver in there right now.
KYLIE MAR: Nightbirde received Simon Cowell's golden buzzer and stole his heart not just with her beautiful voice but with all of the beauty and grace which she exudes from within. And on Wednesday, she also stole Cuomo's heart.
JANE MARCZEWSKI: Don't you want to see what happens if you don't give up? Like don't you want to see what happens? And that's what I keep saying to myself, and that's what I say to everyone watching tonight. Don't you want to see what happens if you don't give up?
CHRIS CUOMO: Have you always been like this?
JANE MARCZEWSKI: [LAUGHS]
KYLIE MAR: Despite only having a 2% chance of survival, Nightbirde's endless positive outlook on life convinces anyone who listens to her that everything is going to be OK. And on Wednesday, the singer said that when she finally defeats cancer for good, she intends on writing the most amazing record we've ever heard.
CHRIS CUOMO: Anything you ever want to play for people, I'm happy to play it as you know. That's not what my show is about, but you are worth deviation because I believe you're exactly who we need to be.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
