Adele issues stern warning to fans amid spate of onstage assaults: 'I dare you to throw something at me'

Performers like Bebe Rexha, Ava Max, Kelsea Ballerini, and Pink have all faced disturbing incidents on stage recently
PUBLISHED JUL 5, 2023
Adele has voiced her displeasure at the growing number of disturbing incidents on stage (Alberto E Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Adele has voiced her displeasure at the growing number of disturbing incidents on stage (Alberto E Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES: Adele, known for her powerful words, didn't hold back while expressing her strong disapproval of the recent incidents of onstage assaults. During her show on June 1, the 35-year-old 'Rolling in the Deep' singer addressed the disturbing trend of targeting performers during live performances.

"Have you noticed how people are forgetting f***ing show etiquette at the moment and just throwing sh** on stage? I f***ing dare you. I dare you to throw something at me. I'll f***ing kill you,” she asked her audience in a circulating Instagram reel. 

Adele performs on stage as American Express present BST Hyde Park in Hyde Park on July 02, 2022 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele)
Adele performs on stage in Hyde Park, London (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele)

Artists are in onstage danger 

One of the incidents she referred to occurred when singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha was performing in New York City. A fan intentionally threw his phone, hitting her in the eye, resulting in her leaving the stage and requiring stitches. The man responsible for the assault was later charged with multiple offenses including assault, aggravated harassment, attempted assault, and harassment. He claimed that hitting her with his phone was meant to be a "funny" act.

Adele performs on stage as American Express present BST Hyde Park in Hyde Park on July 02, 2022 in London, England.
Adele performs on stage as American Express present BST Hyde Park in Hyde Park on July 2, 2022 in London, England (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele)

Following the incident, Bebe continued with her tour but took precautions by wearing blue goggles on stage. At her show in Philadelphia, she humorously requested the audience to refrain from aiming phones at her face, saying, "No phones on my face tonight, please, I beg of you."

‘All I care about is keeping everyone safe’

Another incident involved the singer Ava Max, who was slapped by a concert-goer who managed to get on stage before being stopped by security. Ava also suffered an eye injury and stated that the inside of her eye was scratched. Similarly, Kelsea Ballerini was performing in Idaho when someone threw a bracelet that hit her in the face. Although she quickly recovered and resumed the performance, she emphasized the importance of everyone's safety, urging the crowd not to throw objects.

Adele performs on stage as American Express present BST Hyde Park in Hyde Park on July 01, 2022 in London, England.
Adele performs on stage as American Express presents BST Hyde Park in Hyde Park on July 01, 2022 in London, England (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele)

“Can we just talk about what happened? All I care about is keeping everyone safe," she said, continuing, "Don't throw things.” While not involving physical harm, Pink, on the other hand, has encountered some bizarre incidents where fans have given her peculiar items during her performances, ranging from a bag of their mother's ashes to a wheel of brie cheese. 

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