Rhiannon Ingle
A Bebe Rexha fan has apologized for hitting her with a phone and claimed he just 'wanted her to take a photo'.
The 'I'm Good' hit-maker was struck in the face phone while performing at Pier 17 in New York as part of her 'Best F*n Night Of My Life' tour over the weekend (18 June).
The 33-year-old fell to the floor and was subsequently 'rushed' off stage while still holding her face with footage from the concert now making its rounds across social media. Take a look:
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Many fans were left concerned for the singer following the whole ordeal with Bebe soon updating them on how she was faring.
Breaking her silence for the first time after the phone attack, Bebe uploaded two photos of herself to Instagram with a blackened eye and what appears to be stitches on her face, captioning the pic: "I'm good."
The statement from the NYPD spokesperson said: "On Sunday, June 18, 2023 at approximately 2200 hours, police were notified of an assault that occurred at the concert space of Pier 17 located at 89 South Street, within the confines of the 1st Precinct.
"A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a 27-year-old male intentionally threw a cell phone at a 33-year-old female performer on stage, striking her about the face.
"The individual was taken into custody on scene and removed to the 1st Precinct for arrest processing.
"The aided female was removed by EMS to an area hospital in stable condition."
The statement continued: "Pursuant to an ongoing investigation, the following individual has been arrested and charged on Sunday, June 18, 2023 at 2254 hours within the confines of the 1 Precinct."
A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department has since confirmed that a 27-year-old man, Nicolas Malvagna, was arrested in connection to the incident and has been charged with assault.
Malvagna has been landed with two counts of assault in the three degree; one count of harassment in the second degree; one count of aggravated harassment in the second degree; and one count of attempted assault in the third degree.
Rolling Stone reports the New Jersey native confessed to the incident and also provided a motive behind the bizarre incident.
The outlet quoted The Manhattan District Attorney’s office, who revealed Malvagna said: "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 has also reportedly blamed a TikTok trend for his actions.
"It’s a TikTok trend where you throw your phone onto the stage, and a celebrity passes it and takes a selfie," Malvagna told arresting officers on the scene.
Malvagna’s lawyer, Todd Spodek, is also reportedly supporting such a claim.
"As a fan, Mr. Malvagna’s sole intention was to have Ms. Rexha take photos with his phone and return it as a keepsake. It was never his intention to injure Ms. Rehxa," Spodek said in a statement.
He went on to call the incident the result of an 'unfortunate trend'.
Spodek says Malvagna deeply regrets his actions Sunday night and hopes Bebe has a speedy recovery.