Concerts have been getting a lot of press lately, between Taylor Swift’s historic Eras tour, Beyoncé’s box-office smash Renaissance performance series, and more—however, one country music star’s Las Vegas residency just hit the news for all the wrong reasons.
Miranda Lambert stopped her performance at the at the Planet Hollywood Resort theater on Saturday to chastise fans who were taking selfies featuring the singer instead of paying attention to the music. “It’s pissing me off a little bit,” said the singer during the controversial incident.
Miranda Lambert Stops Concert To Scold Selfie-Taking Fans: 'I Don't Like It'
The contentious moment came in the midst a recent performance during Miranda's Velvet Rodeo Las Vegas residency, as the country starlet was singing her emotional 2016 single "Tin Man." During the performance, a group of female concertgoers in the front row area stood with their backs to Miranda and the stage to take a picture, which was framed to feature the "Actin' Up" singer in the background middle of the photo with the fans framed on either side. However, Miranda shut the photo shoot down immediately, stopping the performance to berate the fans for their actions. "I’m gonna stop right here for a second, I’m sorry,” Lambert told the audience . "These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song...It’s pissing me off a little bit. Sorry, I don’t like it. At all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight. I’m singing some country damn music."
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One of the fans in question that was taking the photo, Adela Calin, has since spoken out to the media about the "humiliating" experience. "It was 30 seconds at most. We took the picture quickly and were going to sit back down," said Calin, though it's worth noting the social media influencer took multiple shots during the concert that were posted to her Instagram. Adela added that she "felt like I was back at school with the teacher scolding me for doing something wrong and telling me to sit down back in my place. I feel like she was determined to make us look like we were young, immature and vain. But we were just grown women in our 30s to 60s trying to take a picture."
TikTok and Twitter have been sharply divided on the situation: while many fans were "disappointed" in how Miranda handled the situation, a fair number have supported her stance, especially in light of recent concert interruptions perpetrated by audience members, including items being thrown at performers and some fans even attempting to rush stages.
Fans Respond To Uncomfortable Concert Moment: 'She Needs To Get Over Herself'
In a TikTok video about the incident, fans spoke out against what they felt was unwarranted behavior on Miranda's part. "Miranda didn’t even talk to our Vegas audience between songs hardly," wrote one former fan on TikTok. "Always in a mood. Fans can enjoy however they want. They paid."
Others on Twitter agreed:
miranda lambert also once popped a fan's beach ball when she got annoyed that the crowd was having fun with it. she's like the grinch of country music. pic.twitter.com/mahjcwpXHO
— Bobby. (@bobfaget__) July 18, 2023
TikTok is bring me soooo much Miranda lambert hate and it’s glorious! Old home town peeps coming forward!! She’s been a nightmare FOREVER!!
— Maija Jackson (@MaijaVogel) July 18, 2023
girl miranda lambert picked the wrong time to be a bully when taylor swift is killing it every night, defends and protects her fans at shows, and encourages selfies and pics of all kinds to make memories at her show
doesn’t make ANY sense to me to call out fans having fun — (@dimegtrodon) July 17, 2023
However, Twitter user John Katsilometes, who attended the show and works for the Las Vegas Review-Journal shared a different perspective of the event, calling the fans' disruptive photo taking "ridiculous":
Different view of the Miranda Lambert show-stopping moment at her show at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood on Saturday. Six women, taking multiple selfies, with flash, VIP section, backs to the stage. I get her frustration. This is ridiculous. #RJNow @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/vZcMDIsH9p
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) July 18, 2023
Others also added in alternative video evidence to try and defend Miranda for calling out the picture takers:
To all the ppl coming for her. #MirandaLambert pic.twitter.com/oLi7R3IcRu
— K (@kpete12fan) July 18, 2023
The whole situation even had the hosts of The View divided on their stances. During a heated debate about the incident, Whoopi Goldberg left the stage after exchanging words with co-host Sunny Hostin. Whoopi had been arguing that the fans should have been respectful instead of "ignoring" Miranda during her performance; Sunny, meanwhile, said she was "not split on this at all" and that, if she were in that situation, "I'm going to take as many selfies as I want if I pay [reported VIP ticket price] $757. I'm sorry, that's just me."
Whoopi reacted poorly to the statement, responding, "You know what? Stay home. If you're going to spend $750 to come to my concert, then give me the respect of watching while I do my thing, or don't come!" The Sister Act star then added, "Turn on the television girl," and walked off the set, leaving the other hosts in a state of confusion. However, it all ended up heartwarming—Whoopi was simply heading into the audience to take a selfie with a viewer, saying, "I want to take a picture with this marvelous woman, who is 91. So, we're going to do a selfie, just me and you."
A representative for Miranda told Entertainment Weekly on Tuesday that they had "nothing to share in response" to reports about the incident and Adela Calin's comments about the situation.
