Singer Monica has a big heart, but fans know “Goonica” is not the one to be played with.
She performed at the Riverfront Music Festival in Detroit over the weekend, where she jumped off stage to help a fan who had allegedly been assaulted during her performance on Saturday, July 22.
Several videos posted on social media show the R&B songstress — whose Instagram profile picture features her holding a cigarette and pointing a gun — getting off the stage after she appeared to see a man hit a woman.
“N—a, Is you out yo f——n’ mind?” Monica said over the mic before getting off the stage and making her way closer to where the altercation took place.
As chaos erupted amongst festivalgoers, she said, “You don’t hit no f——in’ lady like that….f—k these f——n’ sucka a— n—as.”
Security then helped Monica get back on stage where she apologized to the audience. She said, “Y’all, that sh-t triggered me. I seen him punch that lady in the face, I lost my f——in’ temper. I apologize ya’ll. I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”
She continued, “I was gonna knock the n-gga a- – out with this fuckin’ mic. We just don’t get down like that where I’m from, you know what I’m saying.”
The Atlanta native can be seen wearing a pink dress and matching long trench coat, stating, “I had every intention on coming out here acting like a lady…but don’t let me see him in the back.” She struggled to shake off her nerves as she prepared to sing her next song “U Should’ve Known Better.”
Other footage shows different angles of what exactly caused Monica to get off the stage after a man in a white hat and shirt and a lady wearing an olive green dress with short blond hair have a physical altercation.
It shows the woman apparently slapping him, to which he responded by striking her. As he attempts to strike and grab her again, a security guard and several others in the crowd intervened and the woman then kicks him.
Fans reacted to the videos and Monica’s response, with many applauding the way she quickly responded to help another woman. Many questioned why the man was so aggressive at a concert, quoting lyrics from her hit song, “So Gone.” Others brought up her infamous nickname.
“How he aggressive at a Monica concert , he def gota go.”
“Show Monica not HAVIN ITTTTT‼️‼️ (Sings So Gone)”
“Yal better stop playing wit goonica!!”
“Goonica don’t play!!!”
“Goonica has always been bout that life. She’s always stayed true to herself. Love that!”
As videos of the incident continued to circulate online, a spokesperson from the Riverfront Music Festival issued a statement with the Detroit outlet, Metro Times.
“First and foremost, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Monica for her courage and decisive intervention during an unfortunate incident at our Festival. Her actions demonstrated a commitment to the safety and respect of her fans, reinforcing our belief that she is not just an extraordinary talent, but an extraordinary individual as well,” said Andrus Macdonald.
It continued, “We are truly saddened that an event meant to bring joy and unity to our community was marred by an act of violence. We strongly condemn any form of violence, particularly against women, and we are actively working with local law enforcement to ensure that the individual involved is held accountable.”
Macdonald went on to thank everyone who responded quickly for making safety a “top priority” and commended the audience for being patient as Monica struggled to jump back into her performance.
“Your cheers of support for Monica truly embodies the spirit of our community and the music we celebrate,” the festival organizer concluded.
Monica has yet to release a statement herself about the incident.
