Singer LeAnn Rimes experienced every performer’s nightmare come true during a concert when her teeth unexpectedly fell out mid-performance.
LeAnn Rimes' tooth fell out mid-performance. Credit: Taylor Hill / Getty
The 42-year-old singer, best known for her hit 'Can’t Fight the Moonlight', was performing at the Skagit Valley Casino & Resort in Bow, Washington, when her dental bridge suddenly came loose mid-song.
Rimes took to Instagram to talk about the incident, calling it “the most epic example of how the show must go on".
“So last night, I was on stage in the middle of One Way Ticket. I feel something pop in my mouth. And if you’ve been around, you know I’ve had a lot of dental surgeries, and I have a bridge in the front. It fell out in the middle of my song last night,” she explained.
In the middle of her set, the 'I Need You' musician yelled “hold on!” and ran to the side of the stage, quickly popping the bridge back in before returning to the spotlight. What followed was an exercise in sheer professionalism.
“I just had to get real with everybody and tell them exactly what was happening, or else I would have had to walk off stage. And so, for the rest of the show, I was literally like this pushing my teeth in like every couple lines and singing,” she said.
“I don’t usually have firsts in my career. That was a first and hopefully a last. I hope my teeth stay in tonight. We shall see," she added.
With her humor intact, Rimes joked to her audience: “The front row, get ready for something to fly out. If you catch them please return them," adding: “And you know, like I said, there wasn’t a thing I could do about it except either walk off or just hold my teeth in. So, I just ran with it.”
Rimes ended her video with a message for other artists, encouraging them to take inspiration from her onstage mishap. “The show can go on in the midst of sheer, utter embarrassment,” she said.
Rimes has long been candid about her extensive dental history. Credit: Christopher Polk / Getty
This wasn’t the 'How Do I Live’ singer's first time battling unexpected onstage medical woes.
In 2014, while performing in Oklahoma, the star’s jaw dislocated during a set, preventing her from returning for an encore.
“Oklahoma!!!! I love you so much! I'm sorry for no encore. I had my jaw pop out of place & I can't hear out of my left ear. #tmjsucks,” she posted on X at the time. “I had the best time tonight with my Oklahoma fans! I love y'all!”
The 'You Light Up My Life' hitmaker has long been candid about her extensive dental history.
Back in 2013, she filed a malpractice lawsuit alleging her dentist had misdiagnosed her and provided substandard veneers and crowns, which she claimed left her suffering from “severe tooth pain, gum inflammation and chronic gum bleeding,” according to USA Today.
In 2015, she revealed she had undergone a staggering 29 dental surgeries.
Rimes continues to tour and perform, and if her latest viral moment proves anything, it’s that not even flying teeth can keep her off the stage.