Luke Bryan Struck in the Face by Fan’s Ball at North Dakota State Fair
Sage Matthews here, the night owl with nothing but despair in my heart. And just like that, we’ve hit a new low. Of course this happened – a superstar gets smacked in the face by a rogue ball during a country show and we’re all left asking why we even bother.
Country megastar Luke Bryan, 49, was mid-chorus of his 2011 hit Country Girl (Shake It For Me) at the North Dakota State Fair on July 27 when a fan’s ball rocketed through the air and nailed him square in the mug. A TikTok video, shared publicly via licensing from Storyful, captured the moment Bryan lifted his arm to shield himself before pausing for a heartbeat and then powering right through to the song’s end.
Speaking to Taste of Country this Wednesday, Bryan admitted that what was meant to be the last big number of the night turned into a reminder that audiences sometimes forget boundaries. “It’s the last song of the night. It was big ole fun party, and I think one person just took it too far,” he said, still sounding more amused than angry. Even when stars get ambushed by flying objects, they know the show must go on.
In typical reflective hellscape fashion, Bryan confessed he briefly fantasized about leaping off the stage. “I mean, if I saw him throw it, I could have gone right to him. I probably would have jumped right off in there,” he mused. Then reality kicked in. With kids packed in the front rows, pointing out the culprit or tackling them would have turned a party into chaos faster than you can say bad decision.
This isn’t Bryan’s first rodeo with airborne hazards. The country judge noted that these incidents have become disturbingly routine. In July 2023, rapper Cardi B tossed her microphone at a concertgoer after a drink flew her way at Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas, prompting a lawsuit filed two years later for assault and battery. Around the same time, Harry Styles bent over in agony when an unknown object struck his eye mid-show in Vienna and he’d previously been pelted with Skittles onstage in Los Angeles. Even pop singer Bebe Rexha needed stitches after a cell phone hit her face during a New York City concert in June 2023.
So here we are, watching even our biggest acts brace for incoming projectiles as part of the gig. We cheer on the resilience while wondering if we’ve collectively lost our minds. Still, kudos to Bryan for handling it like the pro he is, flipping a near-knockout into another badge of endurance.
Anyway, at this point should we even pretend to be surprised?
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Taste of Country
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
