Kehlani says they were sexually assaulted at UK show in Manchester

Kehlani - Blue Water Road - live at Fabrique in Milan © Andrea Ripamonti / Alamy
Kehlani - Blue Water Road - live at Fabrique in Milan © Andrea Ripamonti / Alamy

Kehlani has alleged they were sexually assaulted at a recent show in Manchester.

The singer, who uses they/them pronouns, finished the European leg of the ‘Blue Water Road Trip’ tour at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse on Monday (December 12). After performing at the venue, the star held an after-show event at a different venue in the city where the incident is said to have occurred.

Outlining their ordeal, the singer wrote on Instagram stories: “I’ve made video after video after video and deleted it because I don’t want any video of me as angry, triggered, crying upset as I am anywhere.

“I don’t care how sexual you deem my music, my performances, my fun with my friends dancing at clubs, or ME.

“That does not give any of you the right to cross a boundary like sticking your hands up my skirt & pulling my underwear to TOUCH MY GENITALS as I am being escorted through a crowd after performing. This shit made me sick to my stomach. As a victim of sexual assault, I am endlessly triggered and mindblown.”

The singer is yet to comment further on the alleged incident.

As Billboard reports, Kehlani has been a longtime supporter of sexual assault victims and has outlined their own experiences of abuse before.

“We are women, we are life, we are the life source,” they told Billboard in 2017. “That can be scary for people and it can result in terrible things, but don’t forget you who came from and what you are. Don’t forget your power, don’t let any trauma take away your power. That’s easier said than done, but you got this.”

Rolling Stone UK has contacted representatives for Kehlani and the O2 Victoria Warehouse for comment.