Kelsea Ballerini was recently the victim of an unpleasant incident while performing on her ongoing Heartfirst tour.
The 28-year-old singer was in the middle of her performance of the hit song 'If You Go Down' at Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho, when she was suddenly struck in the face by an object thrown from the crowd.
Footage from the concert shows Ballerini swiftly turning away from the crowd and engaging in a quick conversation with her violinist before temporarily exiting the stage. Following a brief break, the resilient singer returned and candidly addressed the incident, emphasizing her concern for safety during her shows.
"All I care about is keeping everyone safe. If you ever don’t feel safe, please let someone around you know. If anyone’s pushing too much or you just have that gut feeling, just always flag it," the country pop star encouraged the crowd. Concert-goers that attended the event later speculated online that the object thrown at Ballerini was a bracelet.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time a performing artist has been struck by an object thrown by an audience member. Earlier this month, pop sensation Bebe Rexha was injured by a cellphone thrown from the crowd during a performance at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in Manhattan.
The 33-year-old 'I'm Good (Blue)' singer suffered a cut to her eyebrow requiring stitches. The alleged perpetrator, Nicolas Malvagna, was arrested and charged with assault.
In the wake of the shocking event, the New York Police Department released a statement after conducting an investigation into the matter.
"On Sunday, June 18, 2023 at approximately 2200 hours, police were notified of an assault that occurred at the concert space of Pier 17 located at 89 South Street, within the confines of the 1st Precinct," a update by the NYPD stated. "A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a 27-year-old male intentionally threw a cell phone at a 33-year-old female performer on stage, striking her about the face.
"The individual was taken into custody on scene and removed to the 1st Precinct for arrest processing. The aided female was removed by EMS to an area hospital in stable condition," the statement added before revealing that the suspect, now named as Nicolas Malvagna, has also been arrested and charged.
Another recent incident involved Ava Max during her Los Angeles performance at the Fonda Theatre. The 29-year-old singer was reportedly slapped by an audience member who managed to get on stage, causing an injury to her eye.
Max later took to Twitter to assure fans she was okay and inform them that the individual would be banned from her future shows.
She also underlined the importance of concert safety and respect for artists while performing. Incidents like these serve as a sobering reminder that crowd behavior can greatly impact the concert experience for both performers and attendees alike.
