Howard Stern made a 7-year-old rapper cry on ‘AGT’ — and instantly knew he’d gone too far
Renowned for his honest but constructive remarks, the former 'America's Got Talent' judge Howard Stern once had to deal with a weird predicament. The whole drama erupted when Stern was not impressed with a contestant's act and made it clear that he was not fit for the show. However, the contestant in question was a 7-year-old boy who initially took the stage with enthusiasm and high spirits. However, his excitement quickly turned to disappointment, all thanks to Stern's blunt critique.
The young participant in the discussion is Mir Money, who took the stage of 'America’s Got Talent' back in May 2012 and began rapping. Stern quickly hit the 'X,' and within seconds, the young contestant broke down in tears, as per Billboard. The moment was especially heartbreaking because, just before his performance, Money had sweetly told Howie Mandel he would use the $1 million prize to "take care of" his family. Seeing the boy cry, Stern softened and walked up to the stage to comfort him, hugging him and saying, "No one likes hitting the 'X' on a 7-year-old. You're very brave to get up there at 7 years."
An overwhelmed Stern further said, "I've met many great rappers; I’m on the radio; I interview them—none of them are quite as good as you," as per The Things. Still shaken, he repeated, "I'm not cut out for this… I'm shaking… I can't do it," and added, "Radio is for me. I made a mistake — this isn't for me." Later, on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,' Stern explained his tough decision, saying, "This little 7-year-old cute kid gets up—his parents put him out there, you know that was a good decision — and he’s singing something or rapping; I don’t know what he was doing, so I said, 'This kid is horrible.’”
He continued, "But what am I going to do? Am I going to be dishonest? Am I going to be like J-Lo and sit there and tell everyone they’re wonderful? No. I'm going to hit my buzzer." Stern further admitted the experience made him feel "so evil." Though he ultimately voted "yes" to send the boy through, he was outvoted by the other judges. "I totally caved," Stern later confessed to Fallon. According to the radio host, he has done a lot of work on himself to accept this softer side. Stern, who joined 'America's Got Talent' in Season 7, replacing Piers Morgan, and continued through Seasons 8 to 10.
After four seasons on 'America's Got Talent,' Stern decided to step away from the show to focus on other parts of his career that were gaining momentum. As he explained on his Sirius XM radio show, “I'm going through my own career evaluation right now... In all seriousness, I've told you, I'm just too f***ing busy... something's got to give," as per Nicki Swift. He shared that NBC had already asked about his future plans, and he gave a definitive answer: “I kind of have told them I think this is my last season. “I think this is my last season.” Stern clarified that the decision wasn’t rooted in any conflict but rather in his need to prioritize. At the time, he was juggling his radio commitments and had also received another TV opportunity unrelated to AGT, which, according to the New York Post, excited him more. “I've been on there for four years. It's been fun. This year is the 10th anniversary; I think that's enough,” Stern said.