Kelsea Ballerini Hit in Face With Object During Her Boise Concert: ‘Don’t Throw Things’
Kelsea Ballerini has become the latest artist to be struck by an object while performing during a concert. In video captured by fans from her Wednesday (June 28) show at Outlaw Field in Boise, Idaho, the country star is singing her song “If You Go Down (I’m Going Down Too)” when an object comes flying at her and hits her in the face.
Ballerini, who was strumming her guitar, suddenly jerks her head back and holds her right hand to her left eye, and takes several steps back from the microphone, pausing her performance. As the singer-songwriter continues to hold her hand to her eye, her violinist walks over to check on her. After a bit, Ballerini, with her back to the audience, walks toward the back of the stage, pauses, and eventually hands her guitar to a tech and leaves the stage.
Ever the pro, she later returned. In video captured by attendees and shared on social media, Ballerini addressed the incident with her audience. “Can we talk about what just happened? All I care about is keeping everyone safe, so if you ever don’t feel safe, please let someone around you know,” she began. “There’s security everywhere tonight. If anyone’s pushing too much or you just have that gut feeling or anything, just always flag it. Don’t throw things, you know! I just always want shows of mine — every show, for every artist — but I’m in control of this one. I just want it to be a safe place for everyone. … Can you help me do that tonight?”
Billboard has reached out to Ballerini’s reps for additional comment.
The artist’s fan account, which she herself follows, also shared a message with concertgoers on Twitter, along with the video of the moment Ballerini was hit. “We all want to show Kelsea love the best way we know how, and shower her with all the gifts. But throwing things on stage where artists are already so vulnerable is NOT the move,” the account tweeted. “If you can’t hand it to her, there are so many other options. Lord, give it to us! We will make sure it gets to her. But PLEASE don’t put her in danger like this. Again, I know you all mean well, but this is becoming a safety issue. … Please make it stop.”
Another artist who was recently pelted by an object while performing was Bebe Rexha. She was struck in the face with a phone during her June 18 concert, which required her to go to the hospital and left her with a badly bruised eye, which she later shared a photo of. A 27-year-old man has been arrested and charged with assault and harassment.
See video of the incident shared by Ballerini’s fan account, as well as a TikTok of her message after below:
Anna Chan
Billboard
