Riana first caught public attention in 2014 as runner-up in local television show The Next Mentalist. Last year, Riana became the 2017 Season Two winner of Asia’s Got Talent. During her acts, she often interacts with the judges and scares them, particularly Indonesian singer Anggun.

Riana also participated in the 2018 season of America’s Got Talent and made it to the quarterfinals. In the show, she frequently picks former Spice Girls member Mel B as her "victim". 

Despite her popularity, people know very little about her. 

Catching up with the illusionist last month, The Jakarta Post tried to dig up more information – which was easier said than done. 

Riana barely spoke and stayed in her character throughout the interview. We were not surprised though, as Bow Vernon, Riana’s manager, had warned us that she might not answer our questions. What Bow did not tell us was that the one-minute lift ride would feel like the longest and creepiest in our lives.

Arriving in the afternoon, Riana entered our office with her hair covering her face and clutching Riani, her Anabelle-like doll. Once inside the lift, we could take a closer look at her, seeing her right eye. As we were drawn to her, she did not hesitate to look back into our eyes, frightening us.

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Once she arrived in the studio, her team was busy preparing for the shooting. In the corner, Riana sat on the couch, hugging Riani and keeping quiet.

It was hard not to feel scared of Riana. Her quietness confused us and created a spooky aura. We understood, then, how the talent show judges felt while watching her performances.

During the process, Bow was the only one who spoke to her. And as the camera started rolling, Riana began to share a bit about herself. 

Every time she did not feel like answering, we could hear a long pause, but sometimes she firmly answered “yes” or “no” with her shaky voice, revealing that she is an Indonesian and that she did not feel sad to have been eliminated from America’s Got Talent 2018.

The bizarre magician can be diplomatic too. When asked whether she likes Simon Cowell, she replied, “Riani likes him.”

Time flew as she answered our questions and performed one of her tricks. 

Before departing, Bow revealed that a film about Riana was set to premiere early next year. He also added that Riana was scheduled to perform at the Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) in Perak, Malaysia, from Oct. 26-29. 

During the small talk, Riana remained quiet, before finally leaving us with more questions than answers. (mut)