A frightening scene at Billie Eilish’s Miami concert has gone viral after several social media videos showed the singer being aggressively yanked by her arm into a crowded barricade during her performance Thursday night.
The 23-year-old Grammy winner was in South Florida to kick off her “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” tour, where she had three nights lined up at the Kaseya Center in Downtown Miami.
In the videos, the 23-year-old Grammy winner is seen walking by fans lined up at the front-row barricade and touching her hands until one person abruptly grabs her arm with enough force, slamming her into the dividers.
Security personnel immediately intervened and helped Eilish back up onto her feet and pushed the rogue audience member back. Other angles caught the singer looking quite upset and startled at the sudden and intense interaction.
In a statement provided to CBS News Miami, the City of Miami Police said the individual was ejected from the venue but provided no further information related to the incident. It remains unclear whether this person was arrested or will face any charges.
In several posts across social media, many people called for improved safety measures for artists at live events.
CBS News Miami has reached out to the Kaseya Center for further comment. Neither Eilish nor her representatives have released statements regarding the incident.
Previous inappropriate fan behavior incidents
Thursday night’s incident is not the first time Eilish has dealt with inappropriate behavior from her fans and other concertgoers.
In 2019, one person tried to put their hand around the singer’s neck while she was doing crowd work at Austin City Limits. Eilish said in an interview with Vanity Fair that she believed the fan “didn’t mean to” do it during the interaction and that they were “only trying to be loving, and sometimes it just comes off wrong.”
In a number of other incidents, Eilish has spoken out about people throwing things at her during shows while she’s on stage. Billboard reported last December that she was hit in the face with a necklace during a concert in Arizona and mentioned that attendees will often throw their phones at her, too.
In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Eilish and her musician brother Finneas have shared their thoughts about the trend but she said it’s “nothing new.”
“I’ve been getting hit on stage with things for, like, literally six years,” Eilish said. “People just get excited and it can be dangerous.”
“It’s absolutely infuriating when you’re up there,” she continued. I have mixed feelings about it, because when you’re up there, it blows. But you know it’s out of love, and they’re just trying to give you something. You’re in a vulnerable position.”
