Ava Max has reacted after a video of her getting slapped in the face on stage has spread across social media.
The “Sweet but Psycho” singer, real name Amanda Ava Koci, was performing in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening (20 June) when she was approached by an unknown man mid-song.
A video, filmed by another attendee, shows the man appearing to hit Max on the cheek with his hand before he is removed from the stage by security.
Max, 29, is then seen briefly touching the area she was hit before continuing her dance routine.
Later that night, the singer addressed the incident on Twitter.
“He slapped me so hard that he scratched the inside of my eye,” she began her tweet. “He’s never coming to a show again... thank you to the fans for being spectacular tonight in LA though!!”
Fans responded quickly with messages of support.
“So sorry to hear this happened Ava. I hope you’re OK,” reads one response, while another adds: “You deserve so much better, we love you.”
One fan named Cory Larrabee shared a picture taken with Max after the show and recounted his experience of the bizarre on-stage event.
“I was there tonight. The guy rushed on stage at the end right when the last song ended,” Larrabee wrote. “The security guard tackled him and literally THREW him down the stairs. Wild!!! It happened so fast. You can see here she couldn’t even open her eyes but she STILL did [meet and greet].”
Last week, fellow pop performer Bebe Rexha suffered injuries after an attendee at a show in New York threw a phone at her face.
The impact caused Rexha to fall to the ground. Later, she shared selfies displaying a black eye and medical tape over her left eyebrow as a result of the blow.
Some fans have drawn comparisons to the incidents and have questioned why performers have faced similar risks in a short space of time.
“I don’t know what exactly happened but first Bebe Rexha now you? Why is violence starting to increase at concerts people are paying to be at?” the fan asked.
The Independent has reached out to a representative of Ava Max for further comment.
