Video captured American R&B singer Patti LaBelle being rushed off the stage mid-performance over a bomb threat on Saturday.
In the video, LaBelle, also known as the “Godmother of Soul,” was speaking to the crowd in a theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when three security guards suddenly rushed to her side.
LaBelle, who was wearing an all-red gown, was forced to drop her bouquet. Security then escorted her backstage, with musicians following as the crowd was left confused.
“What?” a woman is heard asking in the video, while another person is heard asking, “What happened?”
Pabst Theater Group, the event’s organizer, later tweeted that the Milwaukee Police Department had received a bomb threat and was investigating the situation.
“Tonight’s @MsPattiPatti show at the Riverside Theater has been postponed following a bomb threat investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department,” Pabst Theater Group wrote. “We are thankful for the efforts of the Milwaukee Police Department and our customers and staff for their safe and orderly exit.”
“We are working with the artist to reschedule the show,” the organizer added.
The 78-year-old singer has since released a video statement saying that all is well and that the concert will be rescheduled at a later date.
Fans of LaBelle expressed their concern for her following the incident, while others noted how the crowd was left hanging amid the bomb threat.
“Save Ms. LaBelle!” exclaimed one user. “I used to work security for Artscape in Baltimore (where she performed many times). She was, and remains, one of the kindest, and most gracious people (nevermind celebrities) that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.”
“So [they’re going to] leave the crowd hanging, lost, and confused, and not tell them to at least exit the building?” another wondered
Milwaukee police said in an emailed statement that all patrons had been safely evacuated from the theater, but officers were still working to clear the facility and the investigation was ongoing.
“Regarding the bomb threat in the 100 block of W. Wisconsin, all patrons have been safely evacuated. Police are clearing the facility at this time. The investigation is fluid and ongoing,” wrote Capt. Warren E. Allen Jr.
