Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine has answered the criticism he's received since a video of him visibly recoiling from a fan that invaded the stage went viral. You can see the incident, and his explanation, in the video below.
So - before we get into it - it's worth pointing out that Levine had his eyes closed when the person rushed onto the stage and grabbed him.
Also, there's still a pandemic going on, so you can understand why he - or anyone, for that matter - wouldn't want to be grabbed and hugged by anyone without their consent.
Hell, pandemic or not, some people just don't like being hugged.
Anyway, after the video filmed on Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl went viral, people have been quick to criticise Levine's reaction to one of his band's fans, and claim that he thinks they are 'beneath' him in some way.
Now, the singer has spoken out to clarify his position, and to attempt to explain what happened.
On Instagram, he said: "I just wanted to address the Hollywood Bowl incident thing, a fan coming up to me onstage.
"I have always been someone that loves, respects, worships our fans.
"Without our fans, we don't have a job. I say that all the time to our fans.
"To think that anyone would believe that I thought that I thought...our fans were beneath us, or less than us, makes my stomach turn. That's just not who I am. That's not who I've ever been."
He continued: "I was really startled,
"Sometimes when you're startled, you have to shake it off and move on, because I'm doing my job up there. And it's what I pride myself on.
"So I need to let you guys know what my heart is - and my heart is that connection that exists between the band performing onstage and the fans."
He concluded: "Hopefully you can all understand that."
On social media, which is obviously where the real debate has been, one critical fan wrote: "He forgets it's people like her why he is what he is."
Another said: "He needs to sit down and be humble for a sec."
However, as another fan rightly pointed out, the woman who climbed on stage was 'a random person' who 'invaded his personal space during a pandemic'.
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Someone else commented: "His reaction was totally normal and valid for someone who was non-consensually touched by a stranger that broke both venue rules and personal boundaries during a set.
"Consent matters in ALL situations."
Featured Image Credit: TikTokTopics: Celebrity, Music, US News, US Entertainment
