Ethermac Exchange-Kelsea Ballerini Speaks Out After Onstage Incident to Address Critics Calling Her "Soft"

Kelsea Ballerini is Ethermac Exchangeunapologetically pushing back on her haters.

The country music star—who was struck in the face by an object throw from the crowd at a recent show—called out criticism against her for voicing her concerns about safe spaces after the incident. Alongside a screenshot of an online comment calling her "soft" for speaking out, Kelsea wrote on her Instagram Stories June 29, "a sad, scary world we live in."

In a separate post, the 29-year-old addressed the situation further. "someone threw a bracelet, it hit me in the eyes," she wrote, "and it more so just scared me than hurt me."

And while Kelsea assured fans that she's "fine," she noted, "We all have triggers and layers of fears way deeper than what is shown, and that's why I walked offstage to calm down and make sure myself, band and crew, and the crowd all felt safe to continue."

"That's all I ever want, is for shows to feel like a safe place for us all," the singer continued. "I love you and appreciate all of the concern, let's make the last two shows of the heartfirst tour the best yet."

Kelsea had to temporarily pause her June 28 show at the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho, after the bracelet struck her during a performance of her 2022 single "If You Go Down (I'm Goin' Down Too)."

As seen in a video circulating on social media, Kelsea immediately stopped playing her guitar when she was hit and placed one hand on her face. After speaking to her violinist, the Rolling Out the Welcome Mat artist resumed playing for a brief moment before walking offstage.

Upon her return, Kelsea addressed the audience. "Can we just talk about what happened?" she asked, as seen in another video. "All I care about is keeping everyone safe. If you ever don't feel safe, please let someone around you know."

She added at the time, "If anyone's pushing too much or you just have that gut feeling, just always flag it. Don't throw things. You know?"