Country singer Scotty McCreery stopped his concert at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo on Saturday night to call out a man he said he saw hit a woman in the crowd.
McCreery, a former American Idol winner, said the violence is “absolutely unacceptable” and had security remove the concertgoer.
The altercation began only a few seconds after McCreery launched into his song It Matters To Her. Though he sang only a few words, McCreery stopped, pointed into the crowd and shouted at one audience member, “Hey, that’s a lady you just hit, sir!”
The band ceased playing their instruments as the crowd began to boo.
“Absolutely not. You just hit the lady,” the former American Idol winner continued.
McCreery, 30, called for police and security to intervene.
“Is she OK?” he asked the crowd.
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The singer then told the man who allegedly hit the woman to “get the heck out of here.”
“On God’s green earth. At a Scotty McCreery show, what are you doing?” the singer asked in disbelief. “Ya’ll let the cop know who hit the lady because that is absolutely unacceptable.”
Other people in the crowd pointed and shined their phone flashlights in the direction of the accused man.
There was about a minute of confusion in the crowd before McCreery asked, “We got him? We all good?”
“To whoever you are, that’s the definition of a coward, hitting a lady,” he said. “Get the heck out of here, brother.”
McCreery then continued his performance as normal.
Video of the incident has been shared online by several concertgoers.
The man who allegedly hit a woman in the crowd has not been publicly identified, and it is unclear if he will face charges.
Olga Robak, director of communications with The Colorado Department of Agriculture, confirmed the assault to People magazine. She said “an incident took place at the Scotty McCreery concert where a man assaulted a woman and the performer stopped the show.”
Robak said there is an ongoing investigation into the incident.
McCreery, who has not commented publicly since halting his show on Saturday, rose to fame after he was named champion of American Idol Season 10 in 2011. He is best-known for his country songs Five More Minutes and This Is It. McCreery released his most recent album, titled Rise & Fall, in May 2024.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
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