The singer confronted a concertgoer after spotting him getting physical with a woman in the crowd.
Monica's not having any violence at her shows!
Over the weekend during a performance at Detroit's Riverfest Music Festival, the "So Gone" singer stopped mid-performance to confront a man who allegedly hit a woman in the crowd.
In videos captured by fans, Monica begins to sing "wait a minute" repeatedly in the microphone before becoming visibly agitated. The singer walks to the end of the stage and says, "No, don't you hit her like that," before jumping off of the stage and walking into the direction of the scuffle.
Monica's security begins to surround her as she says into the mic, "You don't hit no f**king lady like that."
A few short moments later, Monica is lifted back onstage by security and the show continues to go on.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the GRAMMY-winning songstress opened up about the "triggering" incident.
"I’m great. My entire team is great," she told the publication. "There was an altercation in the audience between a man and woman that I could tell from my viewpoint onstage. It was heating up as I was attempting to get security’s attention to ask them to de-escalate it, and unfortunately, they weren’t able to fully understand what I was asking them to do. And I did everything I could after seeing him strike her to prevent her from being hit again."
She continued, "It was very triggering for me to see a woman be assaulted by a man. But I thank God that we were able to prevent it from going further than it did and everyone made it home safe."
Monica told the publication that she wants concertgoers to act accordingly while enjoying shows, and says that the only thought she had in the moment was making sure the female concertgoer was safe.
"It was only in my mind to protect and serve and be there for this woman that I could see from the stage," she said.
During an appearance on CNN, Monica spoke more about the incident and shared that she wasn't worried about a viral moment, as she wants to make sure her concerts are a safe space for all of her fans.
"I do not know if I could ever imagine being on stage again if someone was hurt in a various serious manner at a concert," she said. "That is supposed to be a place of joy, and fun, and I just pray that people start to govern themselves better there. I think there is a lot to be learned from our side, as far as security goes. The venue side, as far as security goes, because ultimately, it is the venues responsibility to try and keep them safe. But, I just did not want to see someone harmed in a manner that would not allow them to make it back home to their families, and that can very easily happen when you are fighting at a concert."
The "Love All Over Me" singer referenced the recent incidents at concerts where artists have been struck with objects onstage, reiterating the importance of people making sure they are behaving while at shows.
"I've seen singers being struck with items at concerts. I think the overall conversation needs to be not just about this one incident, but about the actions and behaviors when these festivals and concerts are happening," she added. "It is all dangerous, for us, for the concertgoers, and that is not the way it is supposed to be. You supposed to be having a good time. Everyone is supposed to make it back home to their families."
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