Why are female artists experiencing violence from men at their own gigs?

On Tuesday (20^th June), singer Ava Max was performing on stage when she was slapped so hard by a “fan” that he scratched the inside of her eye. Just three days before, a phone hit Bebe Rexha on stage, leaving her with a black eye and needing stitches. Why are female musicians being attacked by men at their own shows?

For most of us, concerts are about enjoying live music from our favourite artists, and while many can relate to the excitement of seeing our most-loved musicians in person (seriously, I cried the first time I saw Harry Styles live), throwing potentially dangerous items on stage and assaulting them crosses a very clear boundary.

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.”

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.

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