Heavy Pop star and "American Idol" mentor Bebe Rexha was injured by a fan during her concert on June 18, 2023
Police have released new details after pop star Bebe Rexha was rushed to the hospital on June 18, 2023, injured by a concertgoer who hurled a cell phone at her during a concert at Pier 17 in New York City. Rexha, who mentored contestants during season 20 of “American Idol” and has performed on the show multiple times, can be seen in viral videos falling to her knees onstage after being hit in the eye by the phone — an act the fan told police he thought would be “funny.”
The scary scene was captured by various concertgoers on their cell phones, including one that showed Rexha, 33, being helped by paramedics. The man who threw the phone was arrested and is being charged with assault, according to NBC News.
Rexha, meanwhile, has let fans know she’s okay but has shared photos of her bruised and bandaged face. Here’s what you need to know:
Videos by Concert Attendees Reveal Details of Incident at Bebe Rexha Concert
The morning after Rexha was injured onstage, the “I’m Good (Blue)” singer posted updates on social media with photos of her bruised and bandaged eye, which required stitches, WNBC reported.
“Im good,” she captioned two photos on Instagram. On TikTok, Rexha posted a five-second video of herself singing one line from her hit song — “I’m good, yeah I’m feeling alright” — and removed her sunglasses to reveal her injury.
The video above, taken by a concertgoer and shared on Twitter, shows Rexha walking towards the audience when a cell phone flies threw the air and hits her in the face. In the video, viewed over 3 million times at the time of publication, Rexha immediately turns around and slowly falls to her knees in pain.
Midday on June 19, another fan posted a video on Twitter of a man in the audience admitting to throwing the phone and being escorted away by security as a woman yelled, “That is assault, that is assault!”
A third video taken by another fan showed Rexha being escorted off the stage by EMS personnel as she held her hand over her face. As the crowd chants her name, she raises her other hand in the air to wave goodbye.
According to CBS News, the New York Police Department has confirmed that a 27-year-old New Jersey man named Nicolas Malvagna was arrested for “intentionally” throwing the phone at Rexha. Malvagna’s boss at a luxury dog kennel in New Jersey confirmed to the Daily Mail that he was involved in the incident.
Judy Gorski, owner of K9 Resorts in East Brunswick, told the outlet, “I understand one of our employees was attending the Bebe Rexha concert on his personal time. I was shocked to learn of his arrest. My staff and I do not condone violence in any form, regardless of intent, and this action does not align with our values as a company.”
Late on June 19, The Independent reported that, according to arraignment documents, Malvagna told police, “I was trying to see if I could hit her with the phone at the end of the show because it would be funny.”
Malvagna now faces two charges of assault, one charge of aggravated harassment, one charge of attempted assault and one charge of harassment, the outlet said. He is due in court on July 31.
Bebe Rexha Receives Outpouring of Well Wishes From Fans & Famous Friends
GettyBebe Rexha at the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Cannes Gala in May 2023
Lots of fans and famous friends left notes of encouragement and frustration on Rexha’s social media posts, including multiple musicians connected to “American Idol” who sent their good wishes on Instagram.
Singer Pia Toscano, a season 10 finalist on “Idol” who now frequently tours with David Foster and Andrea Bocelli, commented, “That was so not cool. I’m so sorry this happened to you”
Kris Pooley, who serves as music director both “American Idol” and judge Katy Perry, wrote, “Dang! Looking pretty tough tho. Speedy recovery! :)”
Another Top 10 finalist, Ada Vox from season 16, wrote, “Ooo mamaaaa. They got you girl… lol So glad you turned out alright! Love you, baby❤️❤️❤️❤️”
Rexha’s next tour stop, supporting her recently-released album “Bebe,” is scheduled for June 20 in Philadelphia. The singer is expected to go on with the show.
