Exclusive: Jackie Evancho Shares Why She Chose to Be Honest About Her Struggles
Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for JE Touring Reading Time: 2 minutes
On Wednesday night, America’s Got Talent alum Jackie Evancho joined The Talent Recap Show to talk about her journey since her time on the series. She also shared why she’s chosen to be honest about her struggles and gave an update about how she’s doing now.
Jackie Evancho Says She’s ‘Still Struggling,’ But Fighting
Recently, Evancho has been open about struggling with an eating disorder for several years. Earlier this year, she revealed that this caused her to have osteoporosis. She eventually sought treatment at an inpatient facility in October 2021.
“You can’t be the same person you were when you were 10,” Evancho told hosts Talent Recap hosts Corey Cesare and Daniel Swan. “And the challenge about becoming Jackie Evancho at 10 years old is that that is now who I am forever, until something changes it. And I was applying that pressure to myself for years and years after, and it was quite literally killing me.”
Evancho said that taking a break from the spotlight and seeking treatment helped her realize that she needed to be authentic, saying that she “can’t keep lying to myself, too.” As she explained, “I can always feel comforted knowing that I’m being honest.”
The 22-year-old singer said she’s “still struggling,” but added that “the difference between now and a couple years ago is that I’m fighting and getting treated.” She shared that her health is “still not great,” but said “the mental shift is key.”
SEE ALSO: JACKIE EVANCHO CONTINUES HER COMEBACK WITH ANOTHER JONI MITCHELL COVER
Her Advice for Young People
Evancho also shared the advice she would give other young people who are struggling, telling them, “Make sure that, at the end of the day, you’re proud of yourself. Don’t try to please anybody else. Please yourself. Be happy with your own accomplishments before you even think about making other people happy with your accomplishments.”
The singer was the runner-up in Season 5 of AGT, when she was just 10 years old. Evancho reflected on how achieving success at such a young age affected her growing up, saying that she “had to relearn how to work hard.”
On September 9, Evancho is releasing a new album called Carousel of Time, which features 10 covers of Joni Mitchell songs. She also shared that she’s “been doing a lot of songwriting” lately, so fans can expect another album of original songs at some point.
