Pop star Bebe Rexha was struck in the face by a cellphone thrown at her from the crowd while she was performing onstage during a Sunday night concert in New York City.
A video shows the 33-year-old Brooklyn native walking upstage when someone in the audience suddenly pelts her with a phone, which appears to strike her just below her left eye, according to footage taken by a fan.
Watch Below:
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
The singer can then be seen turning away from the crowd and dropping to her knees as crew members who were standing backstage rush in to help.
Rexha, who was performing at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in Manhattan, was then escorted off the stage. She was seen clutching her face behind the curtain, according to additional video footage taken by a fan.
Watch Below:
This is Bebe Rexha being rushed out of the concert venue here in NYC after someone threw a fucking phone and hit her face as she was leaving the stage. We were all having a hell of a good time and so was Bebe, we were all having a blast, I mean who would even do that??? We hope… pic.twitter.com/QQk2DanPdu
— Ross (@RossBernaud) June 19, 2023
While the extent of the “In the Name of Love” singer’s injuries remain unclear, a tweet from the account Pop Base read, “Bebe Rexha shows her injury after being hit by a phone at her concert last night, for which the attacker was arrested.”
Bebe Rexha shows her injury after being hit by a phone at her concert last night, for which the attacker was arrested. pic.twitter.com/bgQiLkZ82o
— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 19, 2023
New York police confirmed to Vulture that Nicolas Malvagna, a 27-year-old concertgoer from New Jersey, was arrested and charged with assault for “intentionally” throwing the phone at Rexha.
Fans who attended Sunday night’s performance took to social media to express their frustration.
“Wow, this is so vile, nasty, and disturbing,” one wrote. “Bebe Rexha doesn’t deserve this at all. I hope she is ok, and I hope the person who threw the phone gets charged with assault.”
“This is literal assault. She even had to seek medical treatment after this,” another tweeted.
“Why the hell do none of you know how to act at concerts anymore,” a third Twitter user said.
“And ya’ll are wondering why artists won’t tour anymore or grow away from fans. This is so sick, really. Hope, Bebe is okay,” another wrote.
Another Twitter user called the incident “super fucking unsettling.”
“Of course this happened in NY,” another commented.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.