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Here's What The Sacred Riana Has Done Since Her Terrifying, Magical Time on AGT
Marie Antoinette Riana Graharani — aka The Sacred Riana — once showcased the illusions of which nightmares are made.
A young magician from Indonesia once brought the kooky and the spooky to America’s Got Talent, and today, she continues to terrify us all.
In 2018, the Sacred Riana instilled fear into AGT Season 13 Judges — namely Mel B. — with her horror-infused magic. Taking to the AGT stage with her signature head twitch and creepy doll, The Sacred Riana’s tricks included making bloody scribblings appear in books and getting Judges to participate in murder mysteries and nightmare-themed puzzles, becoming one of AGT’s best-remembered acts.
Who is The Sacred Riana?
The Sacred Riana, now 31, was born Marie Antoinette Riana Graharani in Jakarta, Indonesia, per the magician’s website.
Graharani had a love for magic at a very young age, with a “spiritual magician” for a father. She also found herself inspired by the likes of David Copperfield.
Before auditioning on AGT, Graharani had much success in the talent circuit around Asia. In 2013, she was runner-up on Indonesia’s The Next Mentalist, and she gained popularity in 2017 when she appeared on Season 2 of Asia’s Got Talent, winning the entire competition with magic and purported telekinesis.
Graharani went on to feature in a multitude of T.V. talent competitions in Indonesia, but none as famous as her time with AGT.
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Other appearances included Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions, Indonesia’s Got Talent, and Masters of Illusion.
The Sacred Riana’s time on America’s Got Talent
The Sacred Riana is a woman of few words, save for a few bone-chilling voiceovers to assist in her magic acts. She often shocked audiences by using body doubles to frighten Judges and incorporated scary stories to frame her tricks. Props have included candles that light by themselves, haunted dollhouses, and the illusion of levitation.
Her 2018 audition garnered tens of millions of views on social media, making it “one of the most viral” auditions of all time, according to AGT Judge Howie Mandel.
She ultimately made it to the AGT quarterfinals, but it was magician Shin Lim for the Season 13 win. The Sacred Riana was, however, recently named as one of Judge Simon Cowell’s most memorable acts.
“I believe that she had some weird power to do what she did,” Cowell told AGT Host Terry Crews. “It was a little bit like we were cursed, and I would say that’s why she’s on the list.”
She returned to the AGT stage in 2023 for America’s Got Talent: All-Stars, one of 60 former AGT acts vying for the grand prize. Judges Cowell, Mandel, and Heidi Klum couldn’t wait to get The Sacred Riana off the All-Stars stage after the magician and her ghostly companions scared Mandel into a frenzied state.
“I’m finished,” said Mandel. “I’m really, legitimately, I’m not kidding; I’m telling you that I’m terrified.”
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She was ultimately eliminated from the competition, but her ghostly presence remains.
Where is The Sacred Riana today?
Graharani keeps busy traveling the Asian continent, as seen on her Instagram page. In an August 17, 2023 post to commemorate The Independence Day of Indonesia, she described why playing The Sacred Riana is important to her.
“My journey on stages abroad is not only carrying a name for myself but representing Indonesia. There is a happiness in its own magic art being able to represent Indonesia alongside other art[ist]s from around the world,” Graharani stated. “That’s what keeps me motivated to do more work than what is already accomplished.”
She added, “Everyone has their own way, and this is my definition of independence.”
In July 2023, tickets sold out for “The Scared Riana: Conjuring” live show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Earlier this year, she was spotted at the Losmen Melati horror film premiere in Indonesia and featured as a guest on Indonesia’s ANTV 30-year anniversary special.
By the look of The Sacred Riana’s social media pages, she rarely makes public appearances out of character, continuing to terrify and captivate fans worldwide.
Watch America’s Got Talent, airing Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC or the following day on Peacock.
