WTF is going on at concerts these days?!
Yet another pop star has been attacked by a fan while performing this week!
On Tuesday, during Ava Max‘s show in Los Angeles at the Fonda Theatre, she was struck in the face by a rogue fan who ran onto the stage while she was performing her last song of the night. In a video of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it incident, a man can be seen rushing the stage before a security guard grabs him — unfortunately, not before he was within arms’ reach of the performer and able to slap her in the face! Ouch!
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Ch-ch-check out the freakish moment (below):
Fan jumps on stage and scratches @AvaMax tonight during ‘The Motto’ pic.twitter.com/r3ZLR2cEkx
— matt (@intomattyou) June 21, 2023
Wow! Impressed she was able to keep going so seamlessly. A fan who was at the show described the incident further, writing on Twitter:
“The guy rushed on stage at the end right when the last song ended. The security guard tackled him and literally THREW him down the stairs. Wild!!! It happened so fast. You can see here she couldn’t even open her eyes but she STILL did M&G.”
In a photo alongside the message, Ava could be seen wearing a pair of sunglasses while she posed for pictures with fans.
I was there tonight. The guy rushed on stage at the end right when the last song ended. The security guard tackled him and literally THREW him down the stairs. Wild!!! It happened so fast. You can see here she couldn’t even open her eyes but she STILL did M&G. ILYSM ???????????? @AvaMax pic.twitter.com/pQ8fr4uA6R
— Cory Larrabee (@corylarrabee) June 21, 2023
Wow! We’re so glad she was okay. And what a professional for still meeting fans after the alarming attack!
On Wednesday, Ava took to Twitter to reassure everyone that she was okay and to explain the situation even more, saying:
“He slapped me so hard that he scratched the inside of my eye. He’s never coming to a show again. Thank you to the fans for being spectacular tonight in LA though!!”
Damn!!!
Why in the world would anyone attack a performer? It’s just so awful! Good for her for banning him for life!
As mentioned, Bebe Rexha was also injured while performing on Sunday night in New York City — and her attacker is already facing major legal trouble! The In The Name of Love artist was hit in the face, just above her eye, by a cell phone during her latest performance. In footage of the fiasco, she could be seen falling to her knees upon impact as crew members came to help. Yikes! She was quickly rushed to a local hospital where she had to receive stitches for a nasty gash near her eyebrow.
Thankfully, she is doing alright now, though she’s still healing from the wound and a gnarly black eye. Not wanting her fans to be too worried about her, the 33-year-old shared two gruesome images of her injuries on Instagram, insisting, “I’m good.” Take a look:
Absolutely great show ruined by a fan throwing their phone at @BebeRexha hopefully she is ok after that pic.twitter.com/4eBScgurv5
— Alex Chavez (@captiv_8_) June 19, 2023
Jeez. That looks like it hurts!
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According to a spokesperson for the NYPD via ET, “a 27-year-old male intentionally threw a cell phone at a 33-year-old female performer on stage.” He has since been identified as Nicolas Malvagna from Manalapan, New Jersey, and was arrested and charged with various counts of assault and harassment for the alleged stunt. He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance. A judge also issued a full temporary order of protection against him. He is expected back in court on July 31.
Horrifyingly, in a complaint, officials revealed he told police his shocking motive:
“I was trying to see if I could hit her with the phone at the end of the show because it would be funny.”
His lawyer, Todd Spodek, who also worked with Anna Delvey, the con artist who inspired Inventing Anna, argued in his defense:
“Nicolas, like many other fans, was hoping to interact in some way with Ms. Rexha as the phone was returned. It was never his intention to injure Ms. Rexha in any way.”
Let’s be clear: it’s NEVER okay to physically attack a star just because you want their attention! And purposefully wanting to hit her for a laugh is despicable!
We are keeping both of these women in our thoughts as they heal and recover from these scary incidents. Please, let’s all just make sure concerts are a safe space for fans and performers from here on out! This isn’t okay! Thoughts? Let us know (below).
[Image via MEGA/WENN & Ava Max/Instagram]
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