Music
Nigerian musician Burna Boy has addressed the controversy surrounding his reaction to a fan who jumped on stage during the Greater Lagos 2024 concert.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Burna Boy defended his actions, revealing that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The artist explained that his PTSD was triggered by the fan’s sudden jump, which led to his defensive response.
Burna Boy emphasized that, due to his condition, he cannot tolerate fans jumping on stage while he is performing, urging them to refrain from doing so in the future.
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“Everybody knows my rule about getting on stage and startling me when I’m performing. I had an amazing time with Lagos State last night. Don’t jump on my stage like that! I got PTSD. I love you all. Happy new year,” Burna Boy wrote.
For those who criticised the Grammy Award winner for ending his performance abruptly due to the incident, Burna Boy said, “It was a free show. I was supposed to do 10 mins and did almost an hour.”
A video of the incident has since gone viral, sparking widespread criticism of the artiste’s actions. Many Nigerians expressed disappointment, with some calling Burna Boy’s response “brutal.”
“Burna Boy kicked a fan who jumped on stage to hug him at the Greater Lagos concert,” said an X user, @Poojamedia. “I feel for the fan.”
Another user, @GreenBoyofLagos, said, “The fan was just showing love and enthusiasm and didn’t deserve to be kicked.
“Security should’ve handled it better. Hope the fan is okay, and Burna Boy can make it up to them. That’s so sad.”
However, some defended Burna Boy, suggesting that his reaction might have been driven by a need to protect himself, as he could not have known the fan’s intentions when he jumped on stage.