LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Madilyn Bailey, the beloved star of Season 16 of 'America's Got Talent', delighted her fans with a heartwarming announcement. After battling fertility issues for years, she revealed that Madilyn and her husband James Benrud are now joyfully expecting their first child together.
Eager to share their blissful news, the 30-year-old singer took to Instagram, where she posted an endearing snapshot of herself cozily nestled beside her husband, both beaming with pride as they held up an ultrasound photo. The image captured the essence of their deep connection, radiating warmth and anticipation for the new chapter that awaited them.
Madilyn Bailey announces pregnancy with husband James Benrud
Madilyn Bailey shared an endearing photo of herself and her husband James. They tenderly held up an ultrasound photo, hinting at the arrival of a new family member. Accompanying the image was a heartfelt video, in which Madilyn recounted the arduous two-year journey to pregnancy that encompassed three surgeries, 317 shots, and the heartache of a failed IVF transfer. The caption read, "2 years ago when I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis and told "have a baby now or get a hysterectomy" I remember the answer being obvious. Try to have a baby. But I also remember being angry. Angry that I was being forced to make this choice. Angry that my body didn’t feel like it was just my body anymore. Angry that my life had already changed so much and was about to change even more."
Madilyn continued, "And I was afraid. I was afraid I would lose myself. I was afraid I’d never get my body back. I was afraid I wasn’t ready. I was afraid I’d be a bad mom. I was afraid of having to give my time to someone else. But I was more afraid that if I didn’t try now I might never get the chance to experience pregnancy and see what mine and Jimmy’s baby would look like. So although the answer was easy accepting it was very hard."
Despite any initial feelings of being "forced" into the decision, the musician remains undeniably thrilled about her impending journey into motherhood, especially considering the context of her IVF (in-vitro fertilization) process. She continued to write, "Fast forward to today. Boy am I am glad that the universe intervened and forced me to ask myself "what do you really want in life" 2 years ago having a baby was the furthest thing from my mind and now I couldn’t be more excited to start this next adventure of parenthood. I was right… this journey has changed me forever… but who I am now… man I like her so much more. She’s strong, she’s resilient, she’s brave, she’s selfless, she takes care of herself and loves her body. And I can’t wait to see her as a mother."
Continuing her heartfelt message, Madilyn proceeded to shower her husband, whom she lovingly married in 2014, with words of adoration and appreciation. She said, "And wow oh wow… Jimmy… my rock… he has really gone through this process with me… He went to every appointment with me… he gave me every shot… he has literally held my hand through this entire process and he’s grown so much as a person and a partner. He’s going to be the most amazing dad and I know I couldn’t have picked a better human to go through all of this with."
With hope radiating from her words, Madilyn looked forward to the future, eagerly anticipating the arrival of their little one and embracing the transformative journey that lay ahead.
Madilyn Bailey's journey on 'AGT' Season 16
Madilyn Bailey, a pop singer-songwriter from Wisconsin who now lives in Los Angeles, has a huge following of 13 million fans on social media. She showcases her creativity by writing songs, drawing inspiration from both positive and negative comments she receives on her social media accounts. During her audition for Season 16, Madilyn sang an original song that consisted entirely of hate comments left on her YouTube page. All four judges were impressed and voted "Yes," allowing her to move on to the next round. She was chosen to advance to the Top 36 as well.
In the Quarterfinals, she played the piano and sang Sia's 'Titanium', earning a standing ovation from Simon Cowell. Madilyn finished somewhere between 6th and 8th place in America's Vote. In the Instant Save, she received fewer online votes than Kabir Singh. During the Judges' Choice, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara didn't vote for her, but Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell did. This resulted in a tiebreaker, where the act with more votes from America would progress.
Madilyn received more votes than Beyond Belief Dance Company, allowing her to advance to the Semifinals. Her Semifinals performance included playing the piano and singing her original song 'Red Ribbon' as a tribute to her late grandmother. Unfortunately, Madilyn did not receive enough votes to reach the Finals, resulting in her elimination from the competition along with Korean Soul, instead of Aidan Bryant.
