From Zuchu to Cardi B: List of celebrities attacked while performing on stage

Performers rely on their fans to keep their shows exciting and interesting. But, sometimes, things get too interesting or awkward. Sometimes the stars are faced with unexpected attacks or unsolicited intrusion while they work on stage.

In recent years, live performances have been wrecked with chaos and disruption as fans hurl objects to performing artists. From Zuchu to Cardi B, the list of performers assaulted by their fans over the years continues to grow.

Sadly, these incidents are not isolated, as a disconcerting trend seems to be emerging - artists being targeted and injured while performing on stage.

During the Wasafi Festival pre-party on Friday, September 29, 2023, East African music sensation Zuchu had to stop her performance when out of nowhere, an object was hurled from the audience, finding its mark and striking her squarely on the face. The security team had to whisk her away from the stage.

Even globally acclaimed artists have faced similar horrifying encounters while doing what they do best—entertaining their fans.

In a widely circulated video, a fan threw a drink at her on stage on July 30,2023. In response, the fiery rapper swiftly retaliated by hurling her microphone at the attacker.

The incident occurred as she was performing her smash hit ‘Bodak Yellow,’ the drink drenching her and staining her orange swimsuit cover-up.

The ‘What About Us’ hit maker has not been spared from the fanatism. On June 24, 2023, during her performance at the BST Hyde Park music festival in London, Pink received an unusual gift from a fan—a wheel of brie cheese.

Little did anyone know that this would set the stage for an even more unexpected and bizarre incident the following day, on June 25, 2023.

This time, the fan threw a plastic bag onto the stage, claiming it contained the ashes of their mother.

On June 20, 2023, during her performance at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, Ava Max, the renowned singer famous for her hit ‘Kings and Queens,’ joined the list of artists attacked on stage.

A man in the audience went beyond the bounds of acceptable behaviour and physically assaulted her by slapping her onstage, and was swiftly removed by security.

Ava took to X, formerly Twitter to air her displeasure at the act, saying; “He slapped me so hard that he scratched the inside of my eye. He’s never coming to a show again...”

On June 18, 2023, during a concert at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in lower Manhattan, singer Bebe Rexha experienced a distressing incident.

On the night of the performance, a cell phone was thrown from the audience, hitting her close to her left eye and causing her to fall to her knees on stage, visibly injured.

The artist, known for her song ‘Meant to be,’ in the aftermath, as she was recuperating, shared an update with her fans through a video on TikTok, reassuring them about her condition and expressing gratitude for their support.

The 27-year-old New Jersey man responsible was charged with assault.

During a performance in Vienna, Harry Styles was hit in the eye by an object thrown onto the stage.

Video footage shared on social media captured the moment when the object struck him, causing visible pain and interrupting his performance in the process.

This unfortunate event was not the first time Styles has been targeted by objects thrown on stage; a similar incident occurred in 2022 during a Los Angeles concert when he was hit by Skittles.

The motives behind these attacks remain elusive. Despite an increasing number of reported incidents, there appears to be no clear pattern or reason, leaving both artists and fans puzzled.