Singer Monica says her ‘instincts kicked in’ when she jumped off stage to help concertgoer in Detroit
CNN
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — R&B superstar Monica is being praised for helping an audience member at the Riverfront Music Festival in Michigan on Saturday after a video of the altercation went viral on social media over the weekend.
In the clip, the “Boy Is Mine” singer is seen jumping off stage after witnessing someone allegedly assault a female audience member in the crowd at her Detroit show.
In an interview with CNN’s Abby Phillip on “CNN Primetime” on Monday, Monica said her decision to confront the situation was due to the fact that her “instincts kicked in.”
“Simply put, I didn’t want to see her hurt or harmed, and her not make it back home after coming just to be a concertgoer for myself and Ashanti (who also played at the festival),” she said.
Monica added that she doesn’t feel like she’s a “superhero” for what she did, because “I did what I hope someone would do if they saw that happening to my aunt or mother.”
She told Phillip that she could see the woman in need was “my elder,” and added that “there was a level of fear there for me just watching what appeared to be a situation that could’ve been escalated even further.”
The singer said her intention was simply “to de-escalate it.”
Concerts have increasingly become a place of chaos recently. The list of artists who have been subject to audience members throwing objects at the stage, with some artists suffering injuries as a result, continues to grow.
Monica’s involvement in the fan altercation at her concert on Saturday, plus a number of other recent incidents involving artist such as Miranda Lambert, show how performers are now getting involved when they see behavior that they do not approve of.
At the end of Monica’s interview with Phillip, she shared a sentiment that many may be feeling these days – both concertgoers and the artists they come to see.
“These concerts have become what almost feels like a dangerous space and place,” she said. “I just really want that to change.”
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