A friend of teenage dancer Emily Gold placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as AGT judge Howie Mandel prepared to deliver his scathing verdict on their troupe’s performance the month before her suicide.
The team from Los Osos High School in California was eliminated in the quarterfinals last month, despite a thunderous applause from the crowd at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena. However, it is not known whether this had anything to do with her decision to end her life.
The program paid tribute to Gold, 17, on Tuesday, praising her as a “bright young soul” after she was found dead under a bridge on 210 Highway just before midnight on Friday.
Judge Simon Cowell joined the audience’s standing ovation, praising the team’s performance as an “event”, but Mandel remained unmoved and sent him packing in a scathing send-off.
“The ‘event’ was a high school halftime show,” he noted. “I’d like it even more if my granddaughter was in it.”
A friend placed a reassuring hand on Emily’s shoulder as AGT judge Howie Mandel sat with his arms crossed for his devastating verdict
However, Mantel was loudly booed when he warned them that they were about to be eliminated from the competition.
Emily’s parents said they were left with a “hole as big as the universe” as they broke their silence on Friday following her sudden death.
“It is with immense sadness that we must tell you all that on September 13th we lost our beautiful Emily. There is a hole in our hearts as big as the universe,” father Steven wrote on Instagram.
“The outpouring of love and support we have received shows us how many lives that angel touched and lifted up. That will help us get through the most difficult time of our lives.”
Emily was a member of both the cheerleading team and the dance team at her school in Rancho Cucamonga.
The school was in an uproar when the dance team passed the AGT auditions with flying colors in May.
“It was absolutely brilliant,” Cowell told his fellow judges.
“What I loved about it was the energy first of all. I think I saw everything a great school should do, which is encourage talent and friendship.
“It reminded me of the movie High School Musical and I thought, ‘Every kid should go to a school like that.’”
Mandel dismissed the audience as prejudiced, warning, “The bar has been raised this season and when you see dancers on this stage of millions, you want to see at least one move where you go, ‘Oh my God.'”
Simon Cowell (right) joined in the standing ovation for the group’s performance, but Mandel (left) remained unmoved as the audience booed his sharp remarks
Emily sat in the front row as they prepared to hear the judges’ comments
Jury member Sofia Vergara said she had never heard the audience react so well to a performance
Cowell praised the “giant step forward” when the group returned for the quarter-finals, and fellow judge Heidi Klum struggled to be heard above the cheers of the audience.
“I’m all for you, I love you,” she told them before turning around in surprise at the sound.
“Oh my God!” she muttered.
“I’ve never seen this theatre go so crazy, it’s amazing,” said jury member Sofia Vergara.
But Mandel insisted, “I still feel the same way,” as he sat there with his arms folded and predicted their elimination.
“The reason it sounds so wild in here is because the families are here,” he claimed as the boos from the crowd rang in his ears.
‘You’ll see. The people at home.’
Emily showed no sign of taking the criticism to heart, posting a cheerful photo of her senior sunrise celebration to her Instagram account three days later.
Interviewed by People Immediately after the show, she talked about the effort she put into her routine.
“When I perform, I really think about all the corrections because we get corrections up to five minutes before we go on stage,” she told the website.
“So really thinking through all of those things so that we can put them into practice is my biggest priority on stage.”
When asked how difficult it was to balance her dance career with her schoolwork, she said, “It’s definitely hard to balance it all, but we manage.”
Emily’s dance group friends paid their own tribute to the “beautiful, loving and kind” varsity dance captain yesterday.
“Emily has always embodied all aspects of our core team values through her strength, dedication, kindness, compassion and the most humble heart,” they wrote.
And Emily’s heartbroken twin brother Alex paid tribute to his ‘little sister’ on social media with a photo montage of their childhood together.
“The time we spend together will never be enough,” he wrote.
‘You were my entire childhood and the memories we made together and all the places we visited and saw together will stay with me forever.
You really broke my heart, Em.
“I will always stand up for you and live for you.”
Emily was a member of both the school dance team and the school cheerleading team.
Parents Brandy and Steven Gold said they have a “hole as big as the universe” in their hearts following the sudden death of their daughter on Friday night
Emily’s twin brother Alex paid his own touching tribute to his ‘little sister’
Emily in her last Instagram post four weeks ago
In a message on his Facebook page, the NBC show said it “extends our sincere condolences to the family, friends and team members of Emily Gold. She was a joyful young soul and will be deeply missed.”
Mandel, who was on the talent show’s panel in 2019, made no mention of Emily’s passing when speaking earlier today about AGT’s enduring appeal.
The veteran Canadian comedian said he thought America would “never get enough” of what he described as the most recognizable show on television.
Emily Gold was found dead Friday night on the eastbound 210 Highway in Rancho Cucamonga, exactly one month after she competed on America’s Got Talent
“We all have dreams, we all have aspirations,” he said Hollywood breakoutWe all think that these dreams and expectations will never come true for us.
“So if they don’t come out to us, it’s fun to watch someone who’s maybe been locked in their room their whole life do this. No one’s ever seen them do this, and no one’s ever listened to them.
“They step on that X and then ‘boom!’ their lives change forever.”
Dailymail.com has reached out to Mandel for comment.
If you are in crisis, call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741