Photo by Inja Pavlić on Unsplash
The latest in a string of events of fans throwing objects at celebrities is Florence Pugh’s hit to the face at a comic convention.
The actress was posing for photos with several Dune: Part 2 co-stars, including Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, on Sunday, Dec. 2 when she was hit by an object. Pugh had just completed a panel about the 2024 film, in which she stars as Princess Irulan Corrino, the daughter of the supreme ruler of the galaxy.
According to videos recording the incident that went viral on social media platforms, the object seemingly came from an audience member in São Paulo, Brazil. However, it is not completely clear.
The videos showed that Pugh put a hand near her eye, which is where the object struck, and then reached down to pick the object up.
Pugh has not commented on the incident yet.
She’s not the only celebrity who had objects thrown at her, which appears to be a trend over the course of 2023, but it was typically geared toward singers onstage during concerts.
Harry Styles was hit in the eye during a “Love on Tour” summer concert in Vienna. Bebe Rexha and Drake were both hit by cell phones from their concert audiences, although Bebe Rexha was the only one who received injuries that required stitches. Cardi B had a drink thrown on her while she was performing, which led to throwing her microphone at the audience member.
Celebrities have even pleaded with fans to stop participating in the “trend,” including Adele and Taylor Swift.
The bizarre attacks on celebrities, especially when they're perfoming their craft, leave concerns about public appearances in the future. If enough celebrities experience personal attacks or anxiety about the possibility of attacks, it could lead to decreases in beloved public venues, such as concerts and film panels. Technological advancements involving celebrities, including the "body scanning" that SAG-AFTRA included in the strike from the start, could also be repurposed to prevent future violence toward the rich and famous.
In the meantime, celebrities have to be concerned about random acts of violence, and we have to be concerned about losing out on celebrity interactions because a horrible "trend" allowed it.