‘America’s Got Talent’ Star Suffers Spinal Damage From Cruise Ship Fall

Former America’s Got Talent quarterfinalist Hans, also known as Matt Gilbertson, is recovering after he suffered numerous injuries after falling from a stage on a cruise in Europe. The Australian cabaret star, who performs under the alter ego of camp German accordion player Hans, was airlifted from Turkey to London for treatment after he fell more than 13 feet into the orchestra pit while performing the night of Thursday, Aug. 25.

Hans opened up about the terrifying incident in a Friday, Aug. 26 post shared jointly to his Instagram and Facebook accounts. Posted alongside a video showing emergency crews at the scene, Hans shared that while he didn’t “want to alarm anyone, I do want to let everyone know what’s happened” as he revealed the details of the incident. According to Hans, on the evening of Aug. 25, while he was performing on a ship’s stage, he was “involved in an incident on stage…that saw me falling 4meters into an orchestra pit.”

“It’s resulted in a shattered foot and some slight spinal damage. At this stage the spine looks manageable but I will require extensive surgery on my right foot. Obviously not an ideal situation, but it could have been much, much worse,” he continued. “I am being airlifted to London from Turkey today and will be treated when I arrive.”

Hans went on to thank “1Cover insurance for their assistance in this” and also his “dear friend Nurse Adam who is travelling with me this week is my superhero. Thank you for showing me the true meaning of friendship and for saving me throughout this.” He went on to extend his gratitude to “everyone in the audience on Thursday night for being so understanding when this occurred and to those who have already sent very kind messages of support.” Due to the incident, however, Hans shared that his planned performance at the Broken Heel Festival would be canceled and “future shows are currently on stand by until we have more of an idea of my recovery plan.”

Hans rose to fame following his time on America’s Got Talent. The star first appeared on the talent competition show’s 13th season. His audition with Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary,” dancing, and playing the accordion earned him a “yes” from Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Simon Cowell. His later performance of The Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining Men” while dancing and playing the accordion sent him through to the Quarterfinals. However, he was ultimately eliminated from the competition during Week 3 Quarterfinals. He returned for AGT: The Champions 2, where he finished in the Bottom 5 of the Top 10.