Bethany Hamilton defended competing on “The Masked Singer” just weeks after announcing the heartbreaking death of her 3-year-old nephew.
“We all will face hardship at some point or another in our life, and I really just wanted to encourage people to know that they can endure and persevere, and so much good and beauty can come from some of the most awful things in life,” Hamilton, 34, told People in an interview after being unmasked as Macaron on the Nov. 13 episode of the show.
The surfer — who lost her left arm in a shark attack when she was 13 years old — added that she was “grateful” for the opportunity to compete on Season 12 of the Fox series.
“Anytime I go in the public eye is to remind people of overcoming the hardships in life,” Hamilton added.
The mother of four admitted that she had no professional singing experience and only sang around her family. She shares Micah, 3, Wesley, 6, Tobias, 9, and Alaya, born in January 2023, with her husband, Adam Dirks.
“When I first got invited, I thought that they were going to bring me on as a judge — I literally had no clue,” she told the outlet. “I sing to my children every single day, but I wouldn’t say it’s my gift and life talent.”
She then joked, “Maybe I’ll stick to surfing.”
Hamilton gushed about her experience on the show, saying that she “loved the challenge” and called her participation “such a joy.”
“I feel like I’m living a dual life,” she said. “But I think my greatest purpose right now is, for sure, raising my children to be secure and confident overcomes themselves.”
The athlete announced on Oct. 19 that her nephew, Andrew, had died after a drowning incident.
“The Lord has received my sweet nephew Andrew into his beautiful care,” she wrote on Instagram at the time along with several photos of the late child. “While my family and I will miss him dearly, we trust that his joy is full with Jesus.”
She also posted a prayer recited by her family members after Andrew passed away.
“This prayer paints so incredibly what it is to have faith,” she said before thanking her fans and friends for their support.
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