Kelsea Ballerini has assured fans she’s “fine” after she was hit in the eye by a bracelet during her recent Idaho concert on Wednesday (28 June).
The country-pop singer, 29, was performing a rendition of her 2022 track “If You Go Down” when she was struck by an object launched from the crowd.
On Thursday (29 June), Ballerini addressed the incident on her Instagram Story, writing: “Hi. I’m fine. Someone threw a bracelet, it hit me in the eye, and it more so just scared me than hurt me.
“We all have triggers and layers of fears way deeper than what is shown,” she said, “and that’s why I walked offstage to calm down and make sure myself, band and crew, and the crowd all felt safe to continue.”
She added: “That’s all I ever want, is for shows to feel like a safe place for us all. I love you and appreciate all of the concern, let’s make the last two shows of the Heartfirst tour the best yet.”
In another Instagram Story, Ballerini shared a screenshot of a comment which read: “Stitches is the bar. No stitches. No post.”
Responding to the remark, she wrote: “Just gonna leave this here. A sad, scary world we live in.”
Ballerini was forced to briefly pause her live show as she reacted to the projectile hitting her. At first, she continued playing the acoustic guitar while turning to the back of the stage, before she made a “stop” hand signal to the crowd and exited.
Kelsea Ballerini Instagram Story— (Kelsea Ballerini Instagram Story)
Once back on stage, according to a TikTok from an attendee, the singer addressed the crowd, saying: “Can we just talk about what happened?
“All I care about is keeping everyone safe. If you ever don’t feel safe, please let someone around you know,” she continued.
“If anyone’s pushing too much or you just have that gut feeling, just always flag it. Don’t throw things. You know?”
This follows several other recent incidents of artists being accosted or having random objects thrown at them during their concerts.
Earlier this month, Bebe Rexha was struck in the head with a phone during a show in New York, after which she suffered a black eye and required stitches.
Days later, Ava Max was slapped by a stage invader while performing in Los Angeles. Then, Pink was bewildered when a fan threw their mother’s ashes on the stage as she performed as part of the British Summer Time festival in London’s Hyde Park.
