Monica says her 'instincts kicked in' when defending a fan at her Detroit show
From singer to hero, Monica is speaking up about why she decided to jump off stage to defend a woman from being struck by a man in the audience last Friday.
Speaking to CNN on Tuesday the singer stated, "Simply put, I didn't want to see her hurt or harmed, and her not make it back home after coming just to be a concertgoer for myself and Ashanti, who was also on the show." Adding, "You know, these concerts have become what almost feels like a dangerous space and place, and I just really want that to change."
Explaining that her "instincts kicked in" and she simply reacted. "I do not feel like I'm some form of superhero in any facet. But I did what I would hope that someone would do if they saw that happening to my aunt or mother, I could tell that she was — she's definitely elder. And there was a level of fear there for me, just watching what appeared to be a situation that could have been escalated even further, I was simply trying to de-escalate it."
Videos of an incident where a man allegedly struck a woman in the crowd flooded social media on Friday. In the concert footage, Monica suddenly exclaims "Ah-ah-ah, no! Don't you hit her like that!" She addresses the venue's security team, urging them to remove the man before she'll continue performing, eventually jumping down into the crowd to confront the man herself.
Security guards can be heard calling for everyone to "move" and "get back" as Monica disappears into the crowd. After a moment, she reappears, snarling "You don't hit a f---ing lady like that!" before returning to the stage and apologizing to the audience. Watch the video of the incident below.
"You're supposed to be having a good time," the Grammy winner expressed. "Everyone is supposed to make it back home to their families. And every person that travels with me knows how I feel about people."
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