When Jackie Evancho was announced as one of the 50 acts returning for America’s Got Talent: The Champions, JJJ was so excited!
The 18-year-old opera singer is now opening up in a lengthy post on her Facebook about that decision, as well as the tribulations of growing up as a child star.
“A lot of people hear ’10 year old singer’ and immediately feel bad for me,” Jackie starts. “There is a lot of stigma around being a child entertainer mainly because of the past experiences that have been thrust into the spot light by paparazzi and tabloids. I’ll admit that there are a lot of aspects that aren’t so glamorous about being a child in the music industry but there’s a lot that I’m thankful for and would never change.”
“I am glad that I am a performer and that that’s how I make my living, but growing up that way wasn’t easy,” she continues, before opening up about how she never had a normal upbringing while living in hotel rooms with her mom, who had a chronic illness.
Jackie also revealed that she and her family were aware of stalkers.
“There were men out there who wanted to hurt me. Some even went to the extreme of claiming they were priests and other disarming occupations to gain trust and easy access backstage, but clearly their intentions weren’t so pure,” she shared. “There was also this assumption that I was a stuck up diva when I had returned to school which left me isolated even in social areas because no one wanted to be my friend.”
Jackie continues, “I just performed on NBC’s AGT’s The Champions and it allowed me to reflect on my journey – the reason I wanted to do the show was to walk onto that stage as a young woman and show the world I am no longer a child.”
Now, she says, her “love for music is profound – it’s what drives me and transforms me. I’ve learned and been through so much, but this is my journey and I look forward to a bright future for the next phase of my life.”
Jackie will be on the February 4th episode of America’s Got Talent: The Champions.
Read her entire post below:
