A 27-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the cellphone attack on Bebe Rexha this Sunday (18 June).
The 33-year-old “I’m Good (Blue)” singer was performing in New York when a concertgoer launched the device from the crowd, hitting her in the face.
The singer collapsed to the floor and was taken to hospital where she received stitches above her left eye.
The Independent has now confirmed that the alleged assailant is a man named Nicolas Malvagna from New Jersey.
The Independent also received a copy of Malvagna’s arraignment, which included details about the alleged incident.
According to the complaint, Malvagna told a New York police officer at the scene: “I was trying to see if I could hit her with the phone at the end of the show because it would be funny.”
Malvagna faces two charges of assault, one charge of aggravated harassment, one charge of attempted assault and one charge of harassment. He is next due in court on 31 July.
The Daily Mail reports that Malvagna works at a luxury dog kennel.
Judy Gorski, the owner of K9 Resorts East Brunswick, reportedly told the tabloid: “I understand one of our employees was attending the Bebe Rexha concert on his personal time.
“I was shocked to learn of his arrest. My staff and I do not condone violence in any form, regardless of intent, and this action does not align with our values as a company.”
In a fan-filmed video that has circulated on social media, Rexha can be seen approaching the front of the stage when a phone flies through the air and hits her in the face.
Sharing a video of the singer being attended to by medics, another concertgoer wrote: “This is Bebe Rexha being rushed out of the concert venue here in NYC after someone threw a f***ing phone and hit her face as she was leaving the stage.”
The singer showed fans her injuries, which included a black eye, on Instagram on Monday.
The 33-year-old shared two selfies alongside the caption, “Im good [sic].”
In 2018, Rexha was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. Her most recent album, Bebe, was released earlier this year.
She is set to play four more dates on her ongoing tour, including a gig at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, at The Fillmore Silver Spring in Silver Spring, Maryland, at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, and at the Hard Rock Live Orlando in Orlando, Florida.
