FEATURE:
Self Control
IN THIS PHOTO: Ava Max/PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Dunn
Better Protecting Women in the Music Industry
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EVEN if they were isolated incidents…
IN THIS PHOTO: Bebe Rexha
there have been a couple of shocking attacks on two incredible artists. Bebe Rexha and Ava Max, both American artists, were performing to adoring fans when, shockingly, they were attacked. I am going to come to a concern regarding the safety of women in the industry – especially when performing live and whether conversations need to open up more. Before that, Rolling Stone reported on a violence incident at a recent gig that left her needing medical attention:
“Bebe Rexha received stitches and a young man was taken into police custody after the singer was nailed in the head by a flying cell phone during her set at New York’s Pier 17.
A preliminary investigation by New York City police “determined that a 27-year-old male intentionally threw a cell phone” at the 33-year-old star. Rexha received EMS treatment and was taken to a local hospital. She received stitches, Rolling Stone has learned from a family member.
The alleged assailant, Nicolas Malvagna of New Jersey, was taken into custody and was arraigned on Monday evening. Malvagna has been charged with two counts of assault in the three degree; one count of harassment in the second degree; one count of aggravated harassment in the second degree; and one count of attempted assault in the third degree.
According to the The Manhattan District Attorney’s office, Malvagna not only confessed to throwing the phone. He also stated, “I was trying to see if I could hit her with the phone at the end of the show because it would be funny.”
The moment the “I’m Good (Blue)” singer was struck by the cell phone projectile was captured and shared to social media by a concert goer.
The incident occurred near the end of Rexha’s show, bringing the concert to an abrupt conclusion. On Monday morning, she posted a picture of herself on Instagram with the caption, “I’m good.”
The incident is just the latest in a dangerous trend of concert goers throwing objects at stars. The motives of the thrower in this case are not known. But in other contexts, over-exuberant fans have tossed phones at stars, not to hit them, but hoping that they’ll get to interact in some way with the star as the phone gets returned. Last November Harry Styles was pelted in the eye after a misguided fan tossed Skittles candy at the stage.
Rexha spoke to Rolling Stone at length in April about her new album. She described a playful relationship with fans on social media, including the relentless lobbying she received to put a song that went viral on TikTok on her latest album. “They bully me a little,” she said, “but I love it”.
Although it does not happen all that often, the fact that there have been two cases of violence against female artists in quick succession is concerning. I don’t know what was going through the mind of the man who lobbed a phone at Bebe Rexha! Such casual and mind-numbingly dangerous and stupid motive, I do wonder how many cases like this we will see. Both cases involve men as the attackers. The BBC wrote about an incident this week involving Ava Max:
“Singer Ava Max has said a concertgoer "slapped me so hard" during a show in Los Angeles that he "scratched the inside of my eye".
Videos shared online appeared to show a man hit the US pop star in the face while she was performing.
The footage shows Max recoiling and holding her eye after being struck.
Following the show, the singer wrote on Twitter: "He slapped me so hard that he scratched the inside of my eye. He's never coming to a show again."
She added: "Thank you to the fans for being spectacular tonight in LA though!!"
The 29-year-old singer was performing at The Fonda Theatre on Tuesday when she was hit.
It came days after pop star Bebe Rexha sustained facial injuries after an audience member threw a phone at her while she was on stage in New York.
Ava Max rose to fame with Sweet But Psycho and has since had hits with Salt and Kings & Queens.
Max had been near the end of her show when she was struck and left the stage soon after. She wore sunglasses during a meet-and-greet with fans following the show.
Joel Rangel, 30, from Tucson, Arizona, who captured the moment on video, told the PA news agency: "She was ending the show with her song The Motto and a fan just ran and jumped on the left side of the stage.
"As he jumped on stage some of the lights fell to the floor and he was running for Ava with his arms wide open like he was going to hug her.
"But the security ran and grabbed him and as they did she just happened to turn and his arm was out and hit her in the face."
Mr Rangel, who said he flew to Los Angeles for the concert, added: "Also, they almost cancelled the meet-and-greet because of the situation.
"She had to wear sunglasses and she was disoriented and dazed so it was sad having to talk to her like that."
Another fan, Cory Larrabee, tweeted: "The security guard tackled him and literally THREW him down the stairs. Wild!!! It happened so fast."
The singer, whose real name is Amanda Ava Koci, rose to fame following her breakout single Sweet But Psycho in 2018 and has since enjoyed chart success with Kings & Queens, Salt and My Head & My Heart.
Her debut studio album, Heaven & Hell, peaked at number two in the UK in 2020 and she released her second album, Diamonds & Dancefloors, earlier this year”.
Ava Max and Bebe Rexha will be okay. I wonder how it will affect their confidence going forward. Both are very strong women who are not going to be intimidated and cowed by idiot members of their audiences! Looking larger afield, it does raise issues around how safe women are at gigs. In terms of gig-goers, there is that threat of sexual assault and harassment. It is bad enough that many women feel unsafe or nervous at gigs through fear that they will be assaulted. We shouldn’t really have to worry about women on the stage and whether they are safe from their fans! I hope that the men who assaulted Ava Max and Bebe Rexha are banned from their future gigs. It is a worrying time in general, and cases like we have seen this week do cause chills. From a man finding it ‘funny’ to throw a fan in a woman’s face, to another climbing on stage and causing injury to Ava Max, I have seen people on social media asking what is going on. Do women need more security? Are they actually safe at all? I know male artists get subjected to attacks and fans who do not respect their boundaries, but there was something especially chilling and anxiety-inducing reading the reports this week. How things could have turned out worse. I realise that gigs have security teams and you cannot police every single inch of a venue.
Going forward, it does seem like conversations needs to be had. It should seem very obvious that women like Ava Max and Bebe Rexha are on stage to perform and should not have to feel threatened and intimidated! So many other women in the industry have had to deal with attacks, abuse and threats. From Taylor Swift being lunged at by a fan in 2015, through to Heidy Infante being sexually assaulted on stage by another musician recently, this violence against women is shocking! Women have enough to overcome already in terms of discrimination and gender inequality. Struggling to get the same opportunities and attention as male artists, they also have that worry that something could go wrong at a gig. Even major stars with huge security teams are vulnerable. Furvah Shah, writing for Cosmopolitan, asked why two of the industry’s most amazing women were assaulted by men at their own gigs. Dehumanisation and objectification makes them vulnerable to these kind of deplorable and sickening attacks:
“Whether it’s on stage at their shows or in their day-to-day lives, musicians – no matter how famous they are – deserve to be safe and protected, in much the same way as the rest of us. Just because they're opening themselves up to massive crowds, their personal space and privacy isn't up for grabs more than anyone else's.
Fans have taken to Twitter to share their outrage over recent events, with many echoing the same fury. “Someone jumped onstage and slapped Ava Max last night, someone threw a phone at Bebe Rexha’s head. Can we f***ing respect performers when they’re working please, also when they’re not working, just respect them in general and not assault them?” wrote one fan.
“Leaving your house to assault a woman at her own concert is evil. It's [wild] that Bebe Rexha and Ava Max were both attacked in such a short period of time by two different men,” shared another. People are shocked and angry at this recent uptake in violence against female performers while on stage. And, they’re confused as to why this is happening.
Ella McCrystal, an abuse survivor and psychotherapist who works with female victims of violence, spoke to Cosmopolitan UK about why this might suddenly be happening. "Violence against artists, including physical assault, is a reflection of broader societal issues such as gender-based violence, harassment, and lack of respect for personal boundaries.
“Perpetrators feel entitled to exert control or dominance over women. It’s clear in these cases that the perpetrators felt a sense of entitlement or power over these artists, which led them to engage in aggressive or violent actions.”
Ella shares that these acts of aggression may also be influenced by growing toxic masculinity or a desire for attention from these fans. “Female artists, in particular, are subjected to objectification and dehumanisation, which can increase their vulnerability to violence,” she continued. “Treating artists as objects of entertainment rather than as individuals deserving respect can contribute to a hostile environment.”
"I can't help but worry about a growing trend of violence against female performers"
Whether it’s Ava, Bebe or another female artist, it seems that work needs to be done to protect women in the entertainment industry now more than ever, and Ella agrees. “It's crucial to create safe environments for artists to perform, collaborate, and express themselves,” she said. “This includes promoting awareness of consent and boundaries, and fostering a culture of respect within the entertainment industry. Furthermore, raising awareness about gender-based violence, consent, and bystander intervention is essential.”
Artists, especially female artists, need to feel safe on stage, meaning that venues, security staff and fans need to continue to work together to prioritise the protection of musicians at concerts. While I hope what happened to Ava and Bebe are one-off incidents, I can't help but worry about a growing trend of violence against female performers in a day and age where misogyny feels like it's getting worse. I just hope that more can be done to make sure women can feel safe on stage, or in any other workplace, because it's the least we deserve”.
Lots of love and support to Bebe Rexha and Ava Max! With every incident like the ones that occurred earlier this week, it raises questions about women’s safety and how they are viewed. Clearly, for Rexha and Max, the men who attacked them had no respect for their wellbeing. It is also shocking for everyone in the audience to witness something like that! I hope we do not see another incident like this again - though, sadly, it is something you cannot rule out. Women deserve to be respected and feel safe on the stage and in the audience. They should not have to worry about being attacked, assaulted or abused. Security teams, venues, and everyone else in the music industry needs to ensure that they…
MAKE them feel safe and valued.