- Lavender received Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer.
- Lavender is blind and autistic.
- Lavender was adopted.
The America’s Got Talent season 18 auditions featured incredible performances. Lavender Darcangelo had one of the most memorable auditions in the history of the show. Her performance of Irena Cara’s “Out Here On My Own” was a total hit with the judges. Heidi Klum even gave Lavender her Golden Buzzer, which sent her straight to the live shows. Lavender performed a stunning rendition of Foreigner’s “I Wanna Know What Love Is” for the qualifiers.
For night one of the finale, Lavender performed a touching rendition of “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen. “The lyric on that song was so amazing,” Simon Cowell told Lavender. Heidi gushed that she was “so very proud” of Lavender.
So, who is Lavender Darcangelo? Her story will move you. HollywoodLife has rounded up 5 key things to know about the AGT season 18 finalist.
Lavender Is Blind and Autistic
Lavender is blind and autistic. She opened up about her disabilities in a 2019 interview with GMA. “I felt like I was lonely in my life because I have multiple disabilities in my life being blind and autistic,” she said. “Sometimes having more than one disability can make you feel like you have a foot in all these different worlds, but you don’t feel like you have a home in them completely.” Lavender has become a disability advocate.
Lavender Is a Singer
Lavender went viral after performing “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid during an LGBT cabaret performance at First Parish Church in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. She began singing before she could talk. “When I was alone at night in my room, I would daydream about singing on TV,” she told GMA. “[These daydreams] were like a coping mechanism, I guess, and I just loved doing it.”
Her AGT audition aired in July 2023, and Lavender became an instant fan favorite. “That was sensational,” Simon told Lavender after her audition. “Everything about that was just magical. Magical. You have such a talent. You have such an amazing personality.” He also added that he’ll “never forget” her audition.
Heidi was moved by Lavender’s story and performance. “I feel like I just fell in love,” Heidi said. “And this AGT journey is an amazing journey and I would love to be your cheerleader and hold your hand all the way to the finish line. What do you say?” The supermodel then pressed the Golden Buzzer, which allowed the singer to go straight to the live shows. Lavender burst into tears. Heidi gifted Lavender with a box of gold confetti from the Golden Buzzer celebration.
Lavender Has a Boyfriend
Lavender’s boyfriend, Brian, was in the audience with her dads during the first night of the season 18 finale. She had previously dedicated her qualifiers performance of “I Wanna Know What Love Is” to her boyfriend.
“Before he came into my life, I knew that people loved me, but I didn’t know how to trust it,” she told PEOPLE. “Because I had a lot of trust issues growing up, and I often felt unloved. People wanted to include me in things, but because of my disabilities, they didn’t know how to include me. And my boyfriend is one of very few people who I felt has done it right.”
Lavender Was Adopted
Lavender joined a mentorship program that was founded by Wil Darcangelo. He became her singing coach. Wil and his husband, Jamie, went on to adopt Lavender in 2017. “They’ve taught me unconditional love and that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel,” she told GMA about her adoptive dads.
Lavender Is Working on Her Debut Album
The singer is currently working on her debut solo album titled Mosaic, according to her website. The album will feature a “wide variety of songs and musical styles” and “will honor and raise awareness of the diversity within the autism and disability community.” Lavender led the free virtual concert in honor of Disability Awareness Month back in October 2020. She sang covers of hit songs and performed an original song called “Will I Ever,” according to AP.