Kelsea Ballerini Hit in the Face With Object Thrown Onstage [Watch]
Kelsea Ballerini was hit in the face with a small object during her Wednesday night (June 28) Heartfirst Tour stop in Boise, Idaho.
The singer was in the middle of performing "If You Go Down (I'm Goin' Down Too)," a song off her 2022 Subject to Change album, when someone in the crowd threw something small onstage and struck her in the face.
In fan-filmed video posted to TikTok, Ballerini immediately recoils from the microphone and turns away from the audience after being hit, putting her hand over her left eye. Her fiddle player walks over to check on her, and the singer tries to rally, waving her hands behind her to the audience as they cheer her on.
But ultimately, the singer needed a quick break: She held up one finger to fans, indicating she'd be back in a minute, and headed side-stage to recuperate from the incident.
When she returned to perform the rest of her set, Ballerini briefly addressed the incident, putting an emphasis on her fans' safety. "All I care about is keeping everyone safe," she explained. "So if you ever don't feel safe, please let someone around you know. There's security everywhere tonight. If anyone's pushing too much or you just have that gut feeling or anything, just always flag it."
She also spoke directly to the person who had lobbed the item onstage at her. "Don't throw things. You know?" she continued. "I just want shows of mine -- every show, for every artist -- but I'm in control of this one, and I just want it to be a safe place for everyone. We have little kids here. Can you help me do that tonight, please?"
The 2023 leg of Ballerini's Heartfirst Tour has two more stops, concluding July 1 in Phoenix, Ariz.