Why did Nightbirde leave America's Got Talent?

On Wednesday (Aug. 4), Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer recipient Nightbirde, real name Jane Marczewski, spoke to CNN journalist Chris Cuomo to reveal the reason she departed the competition.

Last week, Marczewski received news that her cancer has "taken over" her lungs and liver. "So my liver right now is mostly cancer. More cancer than liver in there right now,” Marczewski shared. “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.”

The singer said she is optimistic after receiving the negative health update that caused her to withdraw from AGT. When Cuomo questioned how she remains positive in the face of bad news, she explained that her mindset is what helps her to push forward.

“When you go through something that is so devastating, makes no sense, there are no answers, you kind of have the choice, like, am I going to become bitter, or am I not?” she explained.

“You do have a choice, you know? You do get to decide what becomes of you in a sense and, you know, I’ve decided in my most painful moments to keep my eyes open because it’s easier," she added. "It’s easier to close your eyes and to give up and forget it but there is so much beauty and poetry to be seen in the world if you’re willing to sign off on the pain that it takes to stay awake in the middle of something that hurts so bad, that’s all this is. Anybody can do it."

In a July interview with PopCrush, Marczewski revealed that she underwent chemotherapy earlier in the year. She then moved onto a "functional-holistic" treatment plan which provided fewer side effects, allowing her to work on her music.

Nightbirde also revealed that she has a vision for a tour with an entire stage set up and new music that she is gearing up to release.

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