Alex Arger
Why do fans keep throwing things at artists during concerts?
These incidents, at times resulting in injuries and halting the music, have raised significant concerns.
LEARN MOREPosted: 7:19 p.m. EDT Oct 12, 2023
Machine Gun Kelly was in the middle of a panel discussion Tuesday when an attendee rushed the stage, prompting a quick but calm reaction from the musician that sprung applause from the audience.
The pop-punk artist, whose real name is Colson Baker, was at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, when the scare occurred.
As MGK was about halfway through speaking with Forbes editor Kristin Stroller in the packed auditorium, a man suddenly appeared in front of MGK on stage, prompting the singer to quickly leap up from his chair mid-sentence while clenching his fists, video from the interaction shows.
"My man, get the f*** away from me," MGK said.
The singer appears to try to reason with the fan, saying "What are you doing? What are you doing? This is a bad look. Don't make me do this."
Before the man was forcefully pulled off stage by security, he allegedly told MGK, "I got you, man. I want to help you out here," according to Variety.
The man, who hasn't been identified, never made physical contact with MGK on the stage, but the near-altercation still caused a stir, with some attendees cheering after the man was pulled away and another who recorded the incident saying, "Jesus Christ, that was scary."
MGK swiftly sat back down after the scare as the event's livestream briefly cut out.
When it returned, the singer apologized for how he reacted.
"I'm sorry. I try to live the dichotomy more on this side than the other guy. I left that guy in the past," MGK said. "I'm really sorry … I do apologize for my primal reaction."
Stoller responded, saying, "You handled that amazingly, by the way."
The incident was reminiscent of another stage intruder who surprised Drew Barrymore while she spoke with singer and actress Reneé Rapp at an event.
During the New York City panel, an audience member had approached the stage while identifying himself, prompting Rapp to get out of her seat and escort Barrymore off stage while security guards apprehended the man. He was later arrested and charged for stalking after allegedly going door-to-door asking people for directions to the star's home.
