Kelsea Ballerini was punched in the face by an object thrown at her at a concert in Boise, Idaho, just days after two other artists were injured by fans during their shows.
Video circulating online shows Ballerini singing on stage when she is suddenly hit by a small object, prompting her to immediately stop performing and move away from the microphone.
While it’s not entirely clear in the video, it’s speculated that the item thrown at Ballerini was a bracelet.
She turns her face away from the audience, reacting to the blow, before her concerned violinist approaches her.
As Ballerini, 29, resumes her guitar playing, within moments she removes her instrument and walks off stage.
Kelsea Ballerini was punched in the face by an object thrown at her at a concert in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday, making her the latest musician injured by a fan at a show
Ballerini introduced herself while performing at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville in April 2023
It comes after fellow singers Bebe Rexha and Ava Max also suffered injuries at the hands of fans during concerts. Rexha was punched in the face by a mobile phone thrown by an onlooker, while Max was punched in the face by a fan.
Afterwards, Kelsea addressed the incident as she returned to the stage.
The singer asked guests not to throw objects as she spread a safety message.
“Can we talk about what just happened,” she said. “All I care about is that everyone is safe. So if you ever feel unsafe, let someone close to you know.
“There’s security everywhere tonight. If someone is pushing too much or you just have that gut feeling or something, always flag it. Don’t throw things, you know?… I always want shows from me, any show for any artist, but I’m in control of this one and I just want it to be a safe place for everyone. We have small children here and can you help me with that?’
She also posted a statement on her Instagram account discussing why she walked off stage and further elaborated on the scary moment: “Hello. I’m fine. Someone threw a bracelet, it hit me in the eye, and it scared me more than it hurt me. We all have triggers and layers of fear that are much deeper than what is shown, which is why I walked off stage to calm down and make sure myself, the band and crew, and the audience all felt safe to carry on. That’s all I ever want is for shows to feel like a safe place for all of us. I love you and appreciate all the concerns, let’s make the last two shows of the Heartfirst Tour the best yet.”
Ballerini’s incident comes just days after several other artists were injured by fans at concerts.
Ava Max was punched in the face by a fan during a performance in Los Angeles earlier this month, while Bebe Rexha was punched in the face by a phone thrown by a fan during a performance in New York City.
Rexha, a Grammy-nominated artist, had been performing and was making her way to the front of the stage when she was punched in the face by the device.
Boys. I know we all mean well. We all want to show Kelsea love in the best way we know how and shower her with all the gifts. But throwing things on stage where performers are already so vulnerable is NOT the move. If you can’t give it to her, there are so many other options. Gentleman,… pic.twitter.com/oIgy2JDn3V
— Kelsea Central • fan account (@KelseaCentral) June 29, 2023
Video circulating online shows Ballerini singing on stage when she is suddenly hit by a small object, prompting her to immediately stop performing and move away from the microphone
While it’s not entirely clear in the video, it’s speculated that the item thrown at Ballerini was a bracelet
Authorities confirmed to DailyMail.com that Malvagna has been arrested and charged with assault in connection with the lower Manhattan incident.
Seconds after the incident, Rexha, a Brooklyn resident, fell to her knees with her head down as several crew members in the wings rushed to her aid before being taken to the hospital.
Rexha was hospitalized and, according to police, suffered “redness, swelling, bruising and a tear in her eye and significant pain” as a result of being hit with the phone.
The fan in question, Nicolas Malvagna, was released on his own accord and ordered to keep his distance from the singer ahead of a July 31 trial.
Ballerini’s worried violinist approaches her
Kelsea briefly resumes playing the guitar before removing the instrument and walking away
“As a fan, Mr. Malvagna’s only intention was to get Ms. Rexha to take pictures with his phone and return them as a keepsake,” his attorney Todd A. Spodek told Dailymail.com. “It was never his intention to hurt Mrs. Rehxa.”
Malvagna faces up to a year in prison if convicted on the charges, the DA’s press secretary Douglas Cohen said, according to NBC News.
Fans immediately alerted security to the man who allegedly threw the phone, which was then taken away by security.
Other fans quickly yelled “that’s assault” at him as he was taken away, while others started booing and calling him an “a**hole.”
The country artist leaves the stage after the scary incident
‘I love you’: Kelsea revealed why she walked off stage when she addressed the incident on her Instagram
‘Sad, scary world’: She also posted comments that seemed to be responding to the object thrown at her
Kelsea’s incident is just the latest after several artists were injured by fans at concerts (Ava Max pictured in Seattle this month)
Max was punched in the face by a fan earlier this month during a performance in Los Angeles
An NYPD spokesperson said, “At approximately 10 p.m. on Sunday, June 18, 2023, police were notified of an attack that occurred in the Pier 17 concert space at 89 South Street, within the confines of the 1st Precinct.
A preliminary on-site investigation found that a 27-year-old man deliberately threw a mobile phone at a 33-year-old female performer on stage and punched her in the face.
The statement continued, “The person was taken into custody at the scene and transferred to the 1st Precinct for arrest trial. The helped woman was taken to an area hospital by EMS in stable condition.’
Bebe Rexha was hit in the face by a phone thrown by a fan during a performance in New York City
Videos posted to Twitter showed the entertainer, whose full name is Bleta Rexha, being helped off stage after the incident.
As she was attended to by medics and led behind the auditorium curtain, she waved to the audience.
“This is Bebe Rexha being rushed out of the concert hall here in NYC after someone threw a horrible phone and smacked her face as she left the stage,” the Twitter user captioned the clip.