Kelsea Ballerini Briefly Stops Show After Being Hit in Face by Object: “Don’t Throw Things”

Concerts are becoming exceedingly hazardous places for artists. Fans have been getting throw-happy lately at shows, tossing everything from phones to a loved one’s ashes at their favorite musicians.

Kelsea Ballerini is the latest artist to have to pause her show after being hit with a flying object. The country artist was singing the song “IF YOU GO DOWN (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO)” at Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden when a small object hit her in the face. It’s not confirmed what the object was, but it packed enough of a punch that Ballerini had to take a moment to recover.

After getting hit with the object, the singer backed up from the mic and let the crowd carry on with the chorus. After not being able to recover, she took off her guitar and exited the stage. Watch the moment, below.

Later when she returned to the stage, she issued a statement about the moment.

“Can we just talk about what just happened,” Ballerini told the crowd. “All I care about is keeping everyone safe. Don’t throw things. You know? I always want shows of mine—every show for every artist, but I’m in control of this one—I want it to be a safe place for everyone. We have little kids here, and can you help me do that tonight?”

Though Ballerini seemed to put the moment to bed while on stage, her fans had quite a lot to say about it on social media.

“Guys, I know we all mean well,” the verified fan account KelseaCentral wrote on Twitter. “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 continued, “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.”

Other users commented on the recent string of mid-concert throwing incidents as a whole.

Twitter User notchelseabear wrote, “What is with the resurgence of people thinking it’s appropriate to throw things on stage/AT a musical act? Bebe Rexha could’ve been blinded, and I just saw a video of someone throwing something at Kelsea Ballerini that appeared to hit her in the face.”

Another user, sshinelikestars, mirrored that idea, writing “what the actual fuck is wrong with people?? bebe, ava, fucking ashes thrown on pinks stage and now kelsea also gets hit? don’t be surprised when artists don’t wanna perform anymore because they don’t feel safe ffs.”

Photo by Steve Jennings/WireImage