Jordan Turpin made a rare public appearance at the season 18 finale of America’s Got Talent on September 27, where she met judges Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum.
“It was so nice meeting @howiemandel, he was very kind to me and to all his fans at the show,” Jordan captioned an Instagram post on Thursday, September 28. “Heidi was beautiful and sweet. The show was amazing! Everyone was so talented. Thank you @howiemandel for having me as your guest. Thank you @asapashleeyy for doing my hair, I loved it and everyone else did [too].”
Jordan’s sister Jennifer Turpin even chimed in the comments section, writing, “OMG! This sooooooooo COOL [sic]!!!”
Jordan and her 12 siblings were rescued in 2018 from their abusive parents, David and Louise Turpin. The children’s ages at the time ranged from 2 to 29 years old. At the time, Jordan called 9-1-1 and explained to authorities what she and her siblings had been subjected to.
“They hit us,” the then-teenager said on the phone call. “They like to throw us across the room. They pull out our hair. They yank out our hair. My two little sisters right now are chained up.”
One year later, the Turpin parents pleaded guilty to 14 counts of felony abuse and were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Among David and Louise’s charges included child cruelty, torture, and false imprisonment. Once they were sentenced, Jordan and five of her other siblings, only identified as Jane and John Does, were moved into a foster home. However, the children alleged that their foster family — Marcelino and Rosa Olguin and their adult daughter Lennys Olguin — had a past record of abuse and that the foster care organizations had prior knowledge of it. The Olguins were subsequently arrested and charged with several counts of child abuse, but they have all pleaded not guilty.
Following her experiences in the “House of Horrors” under her parents and then the Olguin family’s home, Jordan graduated from high school after never having been to any school throughout her childhood.
In 2022, the influencer opened up to PEOPLE about the relationship between her and her 12 siblings, noting that they “all look out for each other.”
“We all have this super big bond,” she explained. “We have our inside jokes, and we’re all very, very close. After everything that happened, I’m so protective over each one. Nothing could ever break our bond. I always try and stay strong and positive for them.”
This story originally appeared on Hollywoodlife
